Thursday, April 17, 2025
BET+ Orders Martin Spinoff Varnell Hill; It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Returns in July

BET+ has greenlit Varnell Hill, a workplace comedy series based on the beloved character made famous by actor and comedian Tommy Davidson from the original series Martin, which starred Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, Thomas Mikal Ford, and Carl Anthony Payne. Davidson is set to star, reprising his namesake guest role. The straight-to-series order will showcase a mixture of exciting new characters and celebrity guest cameos.
Set behind the scenes of a long-running late-night talk show, The Varnell Hill Show is a workplace comedy that delves into the chaotic world of television production. The series explores Varnell's journey to remain relevant in an ever-evolving industry and the corporate dynamics of network executives, business stakeholders, and creative teams involved in the making of the show. With its blend of satire, humor, cutaways, and fourth-wall breaks, the show promises to engage audiences in a fresh and innovative way. Martin Lawrence, co-creator, will serve as an executive producer. Co-creator, writer, and director Bentley Kyle Evans will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, Andy Horne, Stacy Lyles, Robert Lawrence, and Rae Proctor will also serve as executive producers. Rose Catherine Pinkney and Jason Harvey will executive produce for BET+. The series will be produced by Bentley Evans and his production team. Production for the new season and a premiere will be announced at a later date.
FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the longest-running live-action comedy series in television history, will premiere its 17th season on Wednesday, July 9. The premiere will include the first two episodes beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FXX, with episodes streaming next day on Hulu. The new season is also coming to Disney+ internationally. The first promo for season 17 was also released - see below. The fan-favorite, ever-inventive series marks the 20th anniversary of its series premiere this year. The new season will include The Gang's take on meeting ABC's Abbott Elementary in the conclusion to the highly-anticipated crossover.
In the latest season, "The Gang Embraces The Corporate Era:" The story of how greed and the New American Dream have consumed Paddy's Pub. Seventeen seasons on, Ronald "Mac" MacDonald (Rob McElhenney), Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day), Dennis Reynolds (Glenn Howerton), Dee Reynolds (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito) return to shamelessly shed their "niche" label for grander aspirations. They'll exploit cross-network promotion to increase market share; they'll scapegoat one of their own to avoid a PR backlash; they'll risk everything for a handshake with the Saudis; they'll bend the laws with side hustles to pad their pockets; and they'll change everything about themselves to appeal to a broader audience. And sure, like any corporate goon, the Gang craves money and parasitic social privileges. That's been plain since 2005. But they're also human beings. They crave love.. respect... conditional freedom... constant adulation... histrionic amounts of attention... non-stop gratification... and unfiltered, slaphappy eroticism.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Saturday, October 4
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 29)
Friday, October 3
- Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Watch Tom on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered/Married/Second Generation Wayans) - Regina is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Will Ferrell (The Office) - Will makes a special appearance on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Bobby Cannavale (Angie Tribeca/Will & Grace) - Bobby appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Matt Rogers (No Good Deed/I Love That for You) and Bowen Yang (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens) - Matt and Bowen are Day Drinking on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Helen Hong (The Thundermans/The Unicorn) and Jay Mohr (Gary Unmarried/Action/Camp Wilder) - Helen and Jay are guests on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Louis C.K. (Louie/Lucky Louie) - Real Time with Bill Maher has an one-on-one interview with Louis at 10pm on HBO.
- Phoebe Robinson (Everything's Trash) - Phoebe talks about I Don’t Want to Work Anymore on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - Tony swings by the studio to talk Tony Shalhoub: Breaking Bread on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Co-host Tony Dokoupil sits down with Phil on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Star Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil and David Burtka are sharing some mocktail and light bite recipes from their new book Both Sides of the Glass on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
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)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
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