SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at New Netflix Comedy; One Tree Hill Sequel in the Works

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we have a look at an upcoming Netflix comedy, we're hearing about a sequel for a teen drama from a little over a decade ago, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• We have our first look at the upcoming Netflix comedy, Nobody Wants This. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Seven new channels are coming to Pluto TV in September, including a 24/7 Cheers and Frasier channel. (Cord Cutters News)
• A One Tree Hill sequel is in the works at Netflix, with at least two of the original stars set to reprise their original roles. (Variety)
• Actress Betty Bridges, who has appeared in roles on many series and is also the mother of Todd Bridges, has died at 83. (Deadline)
• For those who still have the channel (which has had significantly decreased coverage following Spectrum's dropping last year), Freeform has announced their 31 Nights of Halloween. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 6)

• Family Guy gets another new cable home, this time on Comedy Central, starting Monday.
• Catchy Comedy has a binge of The Odd Couple this weekend.
• New episodes of The Great North come to Fox on Sunday.
• The new FX comedy English Teacher debuts on Monday.

Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2024; Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Premieres October 29

Grab your pumpkin spice lattes because Freeform's "31 Nights of Halloween" returns for a frightfully delightful lineup of Halloween favorites that will keep viewers entranced all month long. Eerily epic Halloween films ranging from classics like Casper, Beetlejuice, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands to modern fan favorites like 2023's Haunted Mansion (broadcast debut), Cruella and Ghostbusters: Afterlife fill Freeform's beloved lineup. Dastardly double features include Hocus Pocus/Hocus Pocus 2 (broadcast debut), Monsters Inc./Monsters University and The Incredibles/The Incredibles 2.

Timeless favorites include the Freeform premieres of Arachnophobia, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad and Muppets From Space. Tim Burton fans, rejoice! The lineup features a marathon of Tim Burton’s ghoulishly grand films on Sunday, Oct. 13, including 2019's live-action Dumbo, Frankenweenie and Dark Shadows, among other classics. In need of a good binge session? Season one of the Disney+ hit series Goosebumps will air in its entirety on Friday, Oct. 25. Last year's event reached 24 million viewers, and Freeform ranked as a Top 5 cable entertainment network among Adults 18-34 (#2) and Adults 18-49 (#5). Take a peek inside the cauldron to experience a month's worth of opportunities to watch all of these spine-chilling films and shows. It's Halloween time!

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, a continuation of the Emmy® Award-winning Wizards of Waverly Place, premieres with two episodes Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Disney Channel. The first eight episodes will be available on Disney+ and Disney Channel On Demand the next day, Wednesday, Oct. 30. It was also announced that Raven-Symoné (Raven's Home) and Danielle Fishel (Girl Meets World) will direct episodes in season one. Wizards Beyond Waverly Place follows an adult Justin Russo, who has chosen to lead a normal, mortal life with his family, Giada, Roman and Milo. When Justin’s sister Alex brings Billie to his home seeking help, Justin realizes he must dust off his magical skills to mentor the wizard-in-training while also juggling his everyday responsibilities — and safeguarding the future of the Wizard World.

The series stars David Henrie (as Justin Russo), Janice LeAnn Brown (as Billie), Alkaio Thiele (as Roman Russo), Max Matenko (as Milo Russo), Taylor Cora (as Winter) and Mimi Gianopulos (as Giada Russo). Selena Gomez (as Alex Russo) will guest star in the first episode. Following the Disney Channel premiere, two new episodes — including a Halloween-themed episode — will premiere Wednesday, Oct. 30, on Disney Channel. Beginning Nov. 8, episode premieres move to Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EDT, with two episodes weekly.

SitcomsOnline Digest: No Third Season for How I Met Your Father; Spectrum Dispute with Disney Could Spell End of Cable

Happy Labor Day weekend, and welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we have news about the cancellation of a Hulu sitcom, we're remembering the life of a game show legend, and we're learning more about how a current dispute between a cable TV provider and a content provider could spell the end of those relationships across the board. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• There won't be a third season for How I Met Your Father. (Variety)
• Bob Barker has died at age 99. (People)
• If you receive cable from Spectrum, then you know that ESPN, FX, Freeform, and other Disney owned channels have been pulled, but this could be something much bigger, that sets the beginning to the end of cable TV as we know it. (Hollywood Reporter)
• John Stamos has created a lullaby version of "Forever," the Beach Boys song that he covered on Full House. (Entertainment Weekly)
• It's hard to believe it's almost that time of the year already, but Freeform has their 31 Nights of Halloween plans lined up. (Deadline)
• The Partridge Family is headed to AXS TV. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (SEPTEMBER 1 - SEPTEMBER 8)

• Antenna TV has a three day weekend full of Three's Company.
• Catchy Comedy is airing a weekend full of series starring Bob Newhart, including The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart, and Bob.
• You can watch all seven seasons of Once Upon a Time on Hulu now.
• CBS aired a tribute to Bob Barker this past week, but if you missed it, you can catch it again during the regular timeslot for the series in your area on Monday, or on Paramount Plus.

September Is Anniversary Month on Hulu; Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween Returns for Its 25th Anniversary

This September, Hulu's cup runneth over with classic, milestone anniversaries from some of TV's fan favorite series including full seasons of The X-Files, Felicity, Frasier, Will & Grace, One Tree Hill and more.

FX's Sons of Anarchy - 15th Anniversary (September 3, 2008)
Sons of Anarchy is an adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones about a notorious outlaw motorcycle club intent on protecting their sheltered small town against encroaching drug dealers, corporate developers and overzealous law officers. The club is equally determined to protect their ruthless and illegally thriving arms business. Charlie Hunnam stars as Jackson 'Jax' Teller, a man whose love for the brotherhood is tested by his growing apprehension for its lawlessness. Katey Sagal stars as Gemma Teller Morrow, Jax's force-of-nature mother, who along with Ron Perlman as Clarance 'Clay' Morrow, Jax's stepfather and MC president, have their own darker vision for the club. An FX Networks Original Series.

The X-Files - 30th Anniversary (September 10, 1993)
The truth is out there. FBI agents Scully and Mulder seek it in this sci-fi phenomenon about their quest to explain the seemingly unexplainable. Their strange cases include UFO sightings, alien encounters and abductions, and just about everything else among the paranormal.

Frasier - 30th Anniversary (September 16, 1993)
Comedy series set in Seattle, WA, which chronicles the lives of an eloquently pompous radio show host Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), his brazen radio producer Roz (Peri Gilpin), his competitive, high-brow brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce), their crotchety father Martin (John Mahoney) and his quirky live-in nurse Daphne (Jane Leeves).

Will & Grace - 25th Anniversary (September 21, 1998)
Will and Grace are best friends and roommates. With pals Karen and Jack, it's all fair game for this outspoken foursome, from sex and dating to cutting cultural commentary.

NYPD Blue - 30th Anniversary (September 21, 1993)
Committed to reflecting reality, this series portrays the mature themes of life in the police department of New York City with an unprecedented combination of real life, real language and real dramas. Whether it's in the squad room or the bedroom, NYPD Blue will offer viewers the kind of realism more often associated with theatrical films than with network television.

One Tree Hill - 20th Anniversary (September 23, 2003)
In a small North Carolina town, two estranged half brothers carry on very different lives. Basketball prodigy Nathan Scott has inherited the throne of high school popularity once held by his father, Dan, while Lucas Scott, also a talented player, stays an outsider. Spending nights shooting hoops on a riverfront court, Lucas remains the son Dan never acknowledged. Now, Lucas' and Nathan's paths intersect for the first time.

Felicity - 25th Anniversary (September 23, 2003)
A young fresh out of high school girl, follows her high school crush to college in New York City to be near him.

Also celebrating this year...

The O.C. - 20th Anniversary (August 5, 2003)
In The O.C., the lives of a group of friends and families are forever changed when an outsider arrives to their affluent community of Newport Beach in Orange County, California. From Josh Schwartz, the executive producer of Gossip Girl and Chuck, the series became a pop-culture phenomenon with its mix of heart, humor, drama and romance.

Living Single - 30th Anniversary (August 22, 1993)
Khadijah James (Queen Latifah) has it all - a great job running her own trendy magazine and part ownership of a fancy brownstone. Sharing the ownership of their home is her endearingly naïve cousin Synclaire (Kim Coles) who's also Khadijah's assistant at the magazine. Their third roommate is a sarcastic, selfish fortune hunter Regine (Kim Fields). And even though she doesn't live in the brownstone, Khadijah's best friend, Maxine (Erika Alexander) - a tough, aggressive divorce attorney always searching for Mr. Right - spends more time here than she does in her own home. With love, laughter and a little bit of luck, four women in New York City on the threshold of the rest of their lives hilariously celebrate Living Single.

That's So Raven - 20th Anniversary (January 17, 2003)
Raven Baxter is a typical teenager who just happens to be psychic. The only problem is that Raven's sneak peeks into the future can make her (and her best friends Eddie and Chelsea) jump to the wrong conclusions. Somehow, they manage to create more comedic problems than they solve!

What's New on Hulu in September 2023

It's spooky season, witches! Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween programming event returns for its 25th anniversary with a spellbinding lineup of Halloween favorites that will keep viewers enchanted all month long.

From Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, hair-raising entertainment awaits with a collection of Halloween films ranging from timeless classics to contemporary gems. Reconnect with beloved movies, including Hocus Pocus, Monsters, Inc., the 30th anniversary of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, Cruella and The Addams Family, and cozy up to the Freeform premieres of Encanto, ZOMBIES and ZOMBIES 2.

Last year's 31 Nights of Halloween programming levitated Freeform to the No. 1 ranking among primetime cable networks in entertainment across Adults 18-34, Women 18-34 and Women 18-49 (excludes news and sports).

So, grab your broomsticks, sweep your schedules, light your black-flame candle, and gather around the couch for a month's worth of opportunity to binge all of these devilishly delightful films. It's Halloween time!

Find the full schedule at freeform.com .

Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2022 Schedule; Sherman's Showcase Returns for Season 2 on IFC and AMC+

Happy Halloween, witches! Grab your popcorn and get ready to be spooked as you settle in to watch another year of Freeform's spooky October programming. The highly anticipated "31 Nights of Halloween" is back all month long with a lineup of Halloween films, including beloved classics and recent hits. From Oct. 1-31, viewers can celebrate Halloween at home with haunting movies, including fan favorites Ghostbusters (1984), Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Halloweentown, Maleficent and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. Films new to the lineup this year include Academy Award® winner Get Out, Halloween (2018) and A Quiet Place, among others. Halloween episodes of series include The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror episodes, Family Guy and The Office Halloween episodes. The network also released a trailer for the programming event; check it out HERE. Last October, "31 Nights of Halloween" propelled Freeform to rank No. 1 among primetime cable networks in entertainment across Adults 18-34, Women 18-34, and Men 18-34 (excludes sports). See the night-by-night list of the programming airing during "31 Nights of Halloween" in the image below.

IFC's critical darling, Sherman's Showcase, is back with an all-new second season! Six brand new episodes of the Emmy®-winning variety series will return to IFC and AMC+ on Wednesday, October 26 at 10:30pm ET. AMC+ will premiere the first two episodes on October 26, with additional episodes available to stream on the service one week early. Part Soul Train, part Saturday Night Live and fully funny, the acclaimed series features sketches, dancers, fake commercials, movie trailers, cultural nostalgia, the Funk Monster, A-list guest stars and original songs ("Drop it Low for Jesus," "Marina Del Ray") that definitely climbed the fictional charts. Each episode is hosted by Sherman McDaniels (Salahuddin) as he takes viewers through time, via music and comedy drawn from the 50-year library of a legendary (but fictional) musical variety show.

All-new award-winning actors, musicians and entertainers that will be seen flexing their comedic muscles in the witty, irreverent and wholly original series, including (alphabetically) Ace Vane, Emmy®-nominee Demi Adejuyigbe, Desi Banks, Jerome Benton, Michael Blackson, Heidy De La Rosa, Emmy®-winner Chris Hardwick, Emily Kinney, Ted Lange, Laci Mosley, Rashida Olayiwola “Sheedz,” Emmy®-nominee Dewayne Perkins, Jay Pharoah, Emmy®-nominee Issa Rae, GRAMMY®-winner and Emmy®-nominee Chance The Rapper, Amanda Seales, Kent Shocknek, Emmy®-nominee Paul F. Tompkins and Porsha Williams. Returning guest stars include (in alphabetical order): Eliza Coupe, Morris Day, Rob Haze, Emmy®-, GRAMMY®-, Oscar®- and Tony®-winner and executive producer John Legend, Emmy®-nominee Nigel Lythgoe, GRAMMY®-nominee Vic Mensa, Tawny Newsome, Xosha Roquemore, Chandra Russell, Zuri Salahuddin and Bresha Webb.

Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween Schedule; MeTV Network and Decades Remember Ed Asner

Calling all witches, goblins and monsters! Freeform is getting into the Halloween spirit once again with another year (2021!) of wicked October programming. The highly anticipated "31 Nights of Halloween" is back all month long with a lineup of Halloween films, including beloved classics and recent hits. From Oct. 1-31, viewers can celebrate Halloween at home with haunting movies, including fan favorites Ghostbusters (1984), Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Hotel Transylvania 2, Goosebumps (2015) and Shrek. You can catch classic "Treehouse of Horror" episodes of The Simpsons along with Halloween episodes of Family Guy as well. Films new to the lineup this year include Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Fright Night (2011), Jaws, Cowboys & Aliens and Men in Black II, among others. The network also released a trailer for the programming event; check it out HERE. Last October, "31 Nights of Halloween" propelled Freeform to rank No. 1 among primetime cable networks in entertainment across Adults 18-34, Women 18-34, Adults 18-49 and Women 18-49 (excludes news and sports). View the night-by-night list of the programming airing during "31 Nights of Halloween."

MeTV will be running four episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show on Sunday, September 5, highlighing some of Asner's best performances as the iconic Lou Grant. The two-hour tribute will air on Sunday, September 5, at 2PM | 1C. Episodes include:

"Love is All Around" — Lou Grant hires Mary Richards to WJM-TV in the premiere episode!
"Once I Had a Secret Love" — After a few too many drinks, Lou has a fling with Sue Ann and asks Mary to keep it a secret.
"Lou Dates Mary" — After another disappointing date, Georgette suggests Mary date Lou.
"The Last Show" — There isn't a dry eye to be found in this emotional final episode.

In addition, MeTV will run Asner's 1963 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, "To Kill a Butterfly" the same night at 1AM | 12C.

Decades is honoring the outstanding career and life of Ed Asner with a weekend of interviews and episodes featuring his role as the hard-hitting boss, Lou Grant.

They start the celebration for Asner this Friday, September 3 at 9p ET | 6p PT with 2 back-to-back episodes of The Dick Cavett Show featuring interviews with Ed Asner himself.

Decades Remembers Ed Asner continues on Saturday and Sunday with The Mary Tyler Moore Show as the Weekend Binge, starting at 12p ET | 9a PT on Saturday.

Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2020 Schedule; Dancing with the Stars Season 29 Cast

Fri-Yay: Fall Sitcom Slate Check-In: NBC; Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2019 Schedule

James Corden Gets Extended by CBS; Freeform's Halloween House Returns for 31 Nights of Halloween

Freeform Expands Halloween Programming to 31 Nights; NBC Launching New Law & Order Spin-off