Saturday, June 25, 2022
SitcomsOnline Digest: Peacock Renews Killing It for Season 2; CBS Sets Fall Premiere Dates
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're in the slowest part of the summer for news and we don't expect it to get any busier in the next few weeks, but we've got news of a renewed series for Peacock, CBS fall premiere dates, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- Peacock has renewed Killing It for another season. (Hollywood Reporter)
- Fall premiere dates for CBS series have been set. (Deadline)
- What do you do when you're the host of a comedy news program and contract COVID when there is major news going on? If you're Samantha Bee, you do your show in the woods. (The Daily Beast)
- Things like this used to have a lot more fanfare that has been lost since the era of digital streaming, but American Housewife is set to come to broadcast syndication in the fall. (SitcomsOnline)
WEEKLY PLANNER (JUNE 25 - JULY 1)
- Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe is now available to stream on Paramount+, but don't go looking for all of the episodes of the original series just yet, as they have only added a few so far and will be adding more at a slow rate.
- The second half of the fourth season of Stranger Things comes to Netflix on Friday.
- Decades has a binge of Riptide this weekend.
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Disney Brings American Housewife and More to Syndication; The Bob's Burgers Movie Will Stream on Hulu and HBO Max

Disney Media Entertainment and Distribution has announced that three series are making their off-net broadcast syndication debut this Fall. Comedy series American Housewife and dramas 9-1-1 and The Rookie will air on your local stations (Housewife and 9-1-1 have already been airing on cable in reruns). American Housewife will air five days a week (and also weekend runs) beginning Monday, September 12, while weekend plays of 9-1-1 and The Rookie will begin the weekend of September 17-18.
All five seasons of American Housewife has been sold to stations from broadcast groups including the CBS Television Stations (such as NY's WLNY-TV), Sinclair Broadcast Group, Weigel Broadcasting, Nexstar Media Group, E.W. Scripps Company, Hubbard Broadcasting, Hearst Communications, Gray Television, Bahakel Communications, Tegna Media, Lockwood Broadcast Group, Mission Broadcasting, Cox Media Group, Allen Media, Standard Media Group, NPG Broadcasting and American Spirit Media. Five seasons (and still going) of 9-1-1 will launch weekends on stations from broadcast groups including the ABC Owned Television Stations (such as NY's WABC), Nexstar Media Group, Gray Television, Cox Media Group, Hearst Communications, E.W. Scripps Company, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Tegna Media and Weigel Broadcasting. Four seasons (and still going) of The Rookie has been licensed for weekend runs to stations from broadcast groups including the ABC Owned Television Stations (such as NY's WABC), CBS Television Stations, Nexstar Media Group, Gray Television, Cox Media Group, Hearst Communications, E.W. Scripps Company, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tegna Media.

20th Century Studios' The Bob's Burgers Movie will debut July 12 on both Hulu and HBO Max. It is also coming soon to Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories on July 12 in Canada, July 13 in Europe, Middle East, Africa (except Poland), and July 20 in Latin America. The Bob's Burgers Movie is an animated, big-screen, musical comedy-mystery-adventure based on the long-running Emmy®-winning series. The story begins when a ruptured water main creates an enormous sinkhole right in front of Bob's Burgers, blocking the entrance indefinitely and ruining the Belchers' plans for a successful summer. While Bob and Linda struggle to keep the business afloat, the kids try to solve a mystery that could save their family's restaurant. As the dangers mount, these underdogs help each other find hope and fight to get back behind the counter, where they belong. The Bob's Burgers Movie showcases voice talent which includes Kristen Schaal, H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy, Zach Galifianakis and Kevin Kline. The film is an animated, big-screen, musical comedy-mystery-adventure based on the long-running (and still airing) Fox Emmy®-winning series.
Saturday, July 24, 2021
SitcomsOnline Digest: Manifest Cancellation Being Reconsidered; American Housewife Sold for Broadcast Syndication
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing that NBC is reconsidering their cancellation of a series that seems to do well in streaming (and they may have competition to keep it), syndication news for an ABC sitcom, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- NBC cancelled Manifest, but a strong showing in streaming has Netflix interested in reviving it and even NBC reconsidering their own plans. (TVLine)
- American Housewife has been sold into broadcast syndication for 2022. (Deadline)
- Fran Drescher is running for president of SAG-AFTRA, but her co-stars from The Nanny are supporting her opponent. (Deadline)
- NewsNation, the network formerly known as WGN America, is expanding their coverage with a morning show and also adding Dan Abrams (who'll continue to work for ABC as well) in the evening. (Variety)
- Sean Penn is starring in an upcoming Starz series called Gaslit, but he is now on strike until all cast and crew members have been vaccinated against COVID-19. (Deadline)
- Peacock has some special treats for fans of The Office. (SitcomsOnline)
WEEKLY PLANNER (JULY 24 - JULY 30)
- It's a weekend of Rhoda on Decades.
Saturday, May 15, 2021
SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Cancels Several Series; Quibi Returns Via Roku
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! As usual for mid-May, this has been about the busiest week of news of the year, so we can't cover everything... but we are jam packed with some of the highlights! Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- ABC decided to shake things up this week by announcing the cancellation of mixed-ish and American Housewife, along with the announcement that the next season of black-ish will be the last. (TVLine)
- How long can Grey's Anatomy go on? At least 18 seasons, although not too many members of the original cast remain. (CNN)
- NBC has decided to call it quits on the idea of a talk show in the 1:30 AM slot, but hasn't quite decided what will replace it just yet. (Deadline)
- The final episode of Mom has aired, and Deadline has a Q&A with executive producer and co-creator Gemma Baker. (Deadline)
- Ellen is done with her talk show, but there will be one more season first. (Hollywood Reporter)
- Quibi is coming back, sort of, courtesy of The Roku Channel. (Vulture)
- Actor Norman Lloyd, known to TV viewers for his starring role in St. Elsewhere, has died at 106. (Variety)
- The CW is "growing up" to be a seven night a week network in the fall, adding in Saturday nights... the night that nobody watches TV. (Variety)
- The fall schedule for NBC is out. (SitcomsOnline)
WEEKLY PLANNER (MAY 15 - MAY 21)
- It's a really busy week of season finales, with just about every broadcast network sitcom having one this week (except the ones that had finales last week).
- Decades has a binge of T.J. Hooker this weekend.
Friday, May 14, 2021
NBC Upfront 2021-22: Fall 2021 Schedule; Fri-Yay: ABC and CBS Comedy Renewal Decisions
Fall 2021
Mondays
8:00PM The Voice
10:00PM Ordinary Joe (NEW!)
Tuesdays
8:00PM The Voice
9:00PM La Brea (NEW!)
10:00PM New Amsterdam
Wednesdays
8:00PM Chicago Med
9:00PM Chicago Fire
10:00PM Chicago P.D.
Thursdays
8:00PM Law & Order: For the Defense (NEW!)
9:00PM Law & Order: SVU
10:00PM Law & Order: Organized Crime
Fridays
8:00PM The Blacklist
9:00PM Dateline NBC
Saturdays
8:00PM Drama Encores
9:00PM Dateline Weekend Mystery
10:00PM SNL Vintage
Sundays
7:00PM Football Night in America
8:20PM NBC Sunday Night Football
Unscheduled Mid-Season/Summer 2022:
New Comedy: American Auto, Grand Crew
New Drama: The Thing About Pam (Limited)
New Reality/Unscripted:: AGT Extreme, American Song Contest, That's My Jam, LA Fire and Rescue, The Wheel, Home Sweet Home
Returning Comedy: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Kenan, Mr. Mayor, Young Rock
Returning Drama: This Is Us, Transplant
Returning Reality/Unscripted: The Wall, Weakest Link, Who Do You Think You Are?
NOTES: Returning shows for the 2021-22 schedule include The Blacklist, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D, Dateline NBC, Kenan, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Law & Order: SVU, Mr. Mayor, NBC Sunday Night Football, New Amsterdam, This Is Us, The Voice, The Wall, Transplant, Weakest Link, Young Rock.
After kicking off with a special post-Olympics send-off for Brooklyn Nine Nine this summer, comedy returns to the schedule in midseason. New series American Auto and Grand Crew will join sophomore successes Kenan, Mr. Mayor and Young Rock for two big nights of funny. Hit comedies Kenan, Mr. Mayor, and Young Rock will also air special holiday episodes.
Decisions are yet to be made on Debris, Ellen's Game of Games, Good Girls, Manifest and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.
As part of NBC’s rolling pilot process this year, the following projects have been picked up to pilot with decisions yet to be made on series greenlights: Dangerous Moms, Getaway, Hungry, Night Court, Someone Out There and the Untitled Nick Wootton/Jake Coburn Project. With the NBC’s 52-week scheduling strategy,these pilots could be possibilities for later in the 2021-22 season or could roll over to the 2022-23 season.
Discuss NBC's 2021-22 lineup and view the full press release.
It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent
Well, it's hard to believe, but we are already at the time of year where networks are getting ready to renew and cancel the remaining shows that they still need to make decisions about for the next TV season. Given this season's truncated nature, it feels so early - although "Upfronts" (as they still exist given they are virtual again this year) are actually later this year than usual, and the network TV season is extending into June for many shows given the late start they had. Looking at the sitcom landscape, there are only a handful of sitcoms left on the bubble, with most shows having their fates sealed one way or the other.
The network with the most questions remaining is ABC. Their entire sitcom slate remains technically in limbo, although some shows are likely a lock to return, such as The Goldbergs, The Conners and black-ish. It will be interesting to see if any of those shows have announced final seasons, given the fact that all three saw significant ratings declines this year (in addition to the fact that The Goldbergs and black-ish are pretty old and probably expensive). Less certain for ABC is the next tier of sitcoms. American Housewife, Home Economics, and mixed-ish are all classic bubble shows, with disappointing-to-OK viewership numbers. It seems likely at least one, maybe two, will return, but it's hard to see room being made for all three. American Housewife is the oldest and probably priciest, but its ratings do edge out the remaining two, so it will be interesting to see which direction ABC goes with. Finally, Call Your Mother is a freshman sitcom that had mostly disappointing ratings and little buzz, and I wouldn't expect it to return. Other than ABC, the only sitcoms left on the bubble are B Positive and United States of Al on CBS - two mediocre rated shows that I'd call a true toss up. It'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out in the near future.
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
ABC Midseason - Spring 2021 Schedule; NBC Renews Weakest Link for 2nd Season

ABC announced premiere dates for a new trio of scripted and unscripted series set to debut this spring. Hosted by award-winning actress Rebel Wilson, Pooch Perfect is a dog grooming competition series showcasing 10 of the best pet stylists in the country who, along with their assistants, compete in a series of paw-some themed challenges. The eight-episode series will kick off Tuesday, March 30 at 8:00pm ET/PT after To Tell the Truth completes its 10 episode winter run. Executive produced by and starring Topher Grace, new comedy Home Economics will join the Wednesday night comedy block, premiering April 7 at 8:30pm ET/PT following American Housewife's run for 8 episodes. From writers and executive producers Michael Colton & John Aboud, the series takes a look at the heartwarming yet super uncomfortable and sometimes frustrating relationship among three adult siblings. The network’s highly rated Thursday night lineup welcomes new Erin Brockovich-inspired series Rebel from executive producer Krista Vernoff. Starring Katey Sagal, the drama is set to premiere April 8 at 10:00pm ET/PT, alongside Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy. This means, A Million Little Things will move to Wednesdays starting April 7 at 10:00pm following the run of For Life. One other note, Thursday dramas Station 19, Grey's Anatomy and A Million Little Things will now return with all-new episodes on Thursday, March 11 (instead of the previously planned March 4). Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (8pm) and The Chase (special two-hour finale 9-11pm) will end their seasons now on March 4 (rather than Feb. 25), while The Hustler will still wrap on Feb. 25 at 10:00pm. Additional ABC premiere dates will be announced at a later time.

Weakest Link, NBC's rebooted game show hosted by Jane Lynch, has been renewed for a second season. The popular series is a British import based on the iconic quiz show format distributed by BBC Studios. Production on the new season, set for 13 episodes, will begin later this year. Co-produced by BBC Studios' Los Angeles production arm and Universal Television Alternative Studio, the new version of Weakest Link delivers the fast-paced and quick-witted pillars of the original British format distributed by BBC Studios with a few modern twists. The hybrid game show sees contestants answer general knowledge questions to bank prize money across multiple rounds. At the end of each round, the contestants vote out who they perceive to be the Weakest Link remaining. In each episode, eight contestants enter the studio as total strangers but must work together to bank the maximum amount of prize money available in each round. The contestants take turns to answer general knowledge questions to build chains of correct answers. Consecutive correct answers greatly increase the value of the chain, while incorrect answers break the chain and force the contestants to start over on the lowest rung with the smallest amount money. At the end of each round, contestants vote to eliminate the fellow contestant they consider to be the "Weakest Link" in the chain. The contestant who receives the highest number of votes leaves the game as the host declares the iconic phrase, "You are the Weakest Link. Goodbye."
Monday, November 23, 2020
ABC Announces Midseason 2021 Scripted Premieres; NBC Announces January and February 2021 Schedule

ABC announced early 2021 premiere dates for new and returning scripted series, including the debut of the empty-nester multi-camera comedy series Call Your Mother, from creator Kari Lizer (The New Adventures of Old Christine). The new year will kick off with an all-new season of The Rookie on Sunday, Jan 3 at 10pm. The network's Wednesday night comedy block will see the addition of the new series Call Your Mother as black-ish returns to Tuesday nights. Starring Kyra Sedgwick in her multi-camera comedy debut, the series is set to premiere Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 9:30pm, alongside midseason returns of The Goldbergs, American Housewife and fellow multi-camera sitcom The Conners. On Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 9pm, black-ish returns, followed by the sophomore season premiere of mixed-ish and the mid-season continuation of the David E. Kelley drama Big Sky at 10pm. The Good Doctor returns from a holiday break on Monday, Jan. 11 at 10pm, followed by For Life on Wednesday, Jan. 20 10pm, and the continuation of Thursday staples Station 19, Grey's Anatomy and A Million Little Things on Thursday, March 4. Alternative series premiere dates were previously announced. Additional midseason premiere dates will be shared at a later time including new drama Rebel starring Katey Sagal and game show return of $100,000 Pyramid.

NBC is starting the new year on a high note with the launch of the new Robert Carlock and Tina Fey-created and produced comedy Mr. Mayor, the time period premiere of new Canadian medical series Nurses and the season two return of critically acclaimed Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Starting Jan. 4, Mondays will be a night of fun and games in January and February with the season premieres of hit game shows Ellen's Game of Games (8-10pm) and The Wall at 10pm (moves to 9pm on Jan. 11). A week later on Jan. 11, Weakest Link and host Jane Lynch join the party for its midseason premiere at 10pm. The Voice and Manifest will likely return in March. Tuesdays starting Jan. 5 will mark the celebrated season two return of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist at 8pm for 6 weeks, starring Jane Levy as a whip-smart computer programmer who hears the innermost thoughts of people around her through songs. The series will kick off the night and lead into This Is Us at 9pm. Tuesdays will conclude with Nurses, the network's new Canadian medical drama acquisition will run thru end of February. New Amsterdam is likely returning in early March.
Wednesdays continue with Windy City favorites Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., all season long. Mr. Mayor, starring Ted Danson and Holly Hunter, will premiere on Thursday, Jan. 7 with two episodes at 8 and 8:30 p.m. ET/PT before moving to its regular 8 p.m. timeslot on Jan. 14 with Superstore shifting to 8:30 p.m. From Emmy Award winners Robert Carlock and Tina Fey, Mr. Mayor follows a retired businessman (Danson) who runs for mayor of Los Angeles to prove he's "still got it." Once he wins, he has to figure out what he stands for, gain the respect of his biggest critic (Hunter) and connect with his teenage daughter, all while trying to get anything right for America's second weirdest city. Both comedies are set to run through mid-March, as other comedies March will likely premiere in mid-March (options of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Young Rock and Kenan). At 9pm will be Law & Order: SVU for the rest of the season. Dateline NBC will hold the 10pm slot through mid-March until likely Law & Order: Organized Crime premieres. The eighth season of The Blacklist will resume Jan. 22 at 8pm and run all season long, followed by two-hour Dateline NBC episodes. Saturdays will be encore performances of Ellen's Game of Games, followed by Dateline Saturday Mystery and SNL Vintage. And finally on Sundays after NFL ends, January and February will see repeats (of series such as Weakest Link, The Wall, and SVU) until after the Golden Globes on Feb. 28. Sunday line-up beginning in March will be announced at a later date.
Saturday, November 07, 2020
SitcomsOnline Digest: Jeopardy GOATS to Return in New Version of The Chase; Holly Robinson Peete Joins American Housewife Cast
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We don't have much for you this week (in case you haven't noticed, there has been this whole election dominating the news), but we do have some more game show news for ABC (they're becoming a home for these), spoilers from cast exits from two popular sitcoms in the past week, and more. Let's get going!
- ABC is bringing back the contestants of Jeopardy: The Greatest of All Time for a remake of the British game show, The Chase (which was already remade for GSN a few years ago). (Variety)
- Don't read this if you hate spoilers, but if you don't care, this is how Anna Faris was written out of Mom. (Deadline)
- Even more spoilers for another sitcom with a star who left this week (so don't click if you want to watch it yourself), this is how America Ferrera was written out of Superstore. (Deadline)
- Holly Robinson Peete has been tapped for a recurring role in the current season of American Housewife. (Deadline)
- It isn't happening in the United States (not right now, at least), but Netflix is launching a linear channel on their service in France. (Tech Crunch)
- Connecting... has been disconnected at NBC. (SitcomsOnline)
WEEKLY PLANNER (NOVEMBER 7 - NOVEMBER 13)
- A new season of The Unicorn arrives on CBS on Thursday night.
- Decades has a binge this weekend of Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts.
- There's a new episode of Saturday Night Live tonight, featuring Dave Chappelle and the Foo Fighters.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Decades Fall 2020 Schedule; CMT Acquires American Housewife

Starting Monday, October 5, Decades is bringing you a whole new block of late-night laughs. These comedies were far ahead of their time — and are bound to keep you up for hours with Smart Com! Every weeknight beginning at 10pm ET | 7pm PT, catch your new favorite block of comedy all starting with The Dick Van Dyke Show! Afterward, you can stop on by the place where everybody knows your name with comedy classic Cheers at 11 and catch a ride with Danny DeVito and Andy Kaufman on Taxi at 12 midnight. The classic Bob Newhart Show will air at 12:30am. In the overnight from 1am-5am it's more classic laughs with an episode each of The Lost Honeymooners, Get Smart, The Phil Silvers Show, Car 54, Dobie Gillis, Abbott & Costello and back-to-back Our Miss Brooks.
There is comedy in the morning, daytime and afternoons as well. Starting early in the morning at 6am with Laugh-In, followed by back-to-back episodes of The Jeffersons at 7am. Daytime comedy starts at 9am with two episodes each of The Lucy Show, The Donna Reed Show, Family Affair, Petticoat Junction, I Love Lucy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show and an episode each of The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart round it out at 4pm. Early evening and primetime remain the same starting at 5pm with The Jeffersons. Check out the full Decades Fall 2020 line-up.

Effective immediately, American Housewife reruns are now on CMT as of yesterday (Sept. 21). The ABC comedy starring Katy Mixon is entering its fifth season this fall (starts Oct. 28 at 8:30pm). CMT will air it Monday to Wednesdays from 11pm-1am in late fringe, following the Mom primetime block. CMT airs sitcoms all day as well with blocks of Roseanne, The Golden Girls, The King of Queens, and Last Man Standing also airing on weekdays. CMT mainstay Reba also airs in late fringe on some nights. The network has also recently aired Married...with Children and Home Improvement, but are currently not on the line-up. Back to American Housewife, this is its first off-network airing and CMT will also air a marathon on Sunday (Sept. 27) starting at 12 noon. American Housewife will be eligible for local broadcast syndication in Fall 2021, so we could see more networks airing it by then. The series stars Katy Mixon, Diedrich Bader, Meg Donnelly, Daniel DiMaggio, Julia Butters, Ali Wong and Carly Hughes.
Friday, September 11, 2020
Fri-Yay: Sister, Sister Soars on Netflix; ABC Comedies Returning October 21 for New Seasons

by Vincent
This past week, the '90s family sitcom Sister, Sister joined the Netflix line-up. A lot of people began talking about the show on social media, prompting me to go back and watch the show over the holiday weekend. It had been a while since I'd seen a TGIF sitcom (granted Sister, Sister moved to The WB for most of its run, but it has the feel and makings of a TGIF sitcom) and I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I really enjoyed jumping back into the world of Sister, Sister. No, it isn't the most clever or acclaimed sitcom of all time, but it's really a great show to put on and relax and turn off your brain a bit. It's also the type of show that can easily be watched and understood by families and kids alike.
It feels in a lot of ways like a show such as Sister, Sister is just not made anymore - a show that can be enjoyed equally by kids and adults. Granted, there are family-friendly sitcoms on TV, but shows don't feel made for kids and adults the way a show like Sister, Sister did. The performances by the adults (particularly by Jackee Harry) are just as good as more "mature" sitcoms. It's easy to see why the series rocketed into the Netflix Top 10 this week. People have fond memories of the show, and for good reason. It may not be the best '90s sitcom, but it's certainly a fun show and hopefully Netflix can introduce it to a new generation.

Delivering on the network’s commitment to being the broadcast destination for family comedy, ABC announced premiere dates for its Wednesday primetime comedy block. The Goldbergs, The Conners and black-ish will return Oct. 21, and American Housewife will join the comedy lineup on Oct. 28. Previously announced standalone black-ish Election event composed of two back-to-back episodes will air Sunday, Oct. 4 from 10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT. For the first time, ABC will air a fully animated black-ish episode as part of the event. Dates for network scripted dramas (such as Grey's Anatomy, The Good Doctor, Station 19) will be announced soon. Dates for unscripted series were previously announced, such as Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelorette, Shark Tank and ABC Fun & Games series. Most recently, ABC claimed 3 of the Top 4 comedies last season in Adults 18-49, Modern Family (1.6/8) – No. 1 (tie), The Conners (1.5/8) – No. 3 and The Goldbergs (1.3/6) – No. 4 (tie), as well as securing the No. 1 (tie) scripted summer broadcast show this year with United We Fall.
ABC's Wednesday scripted comedy series premiere dates are as follows (all times listed are Eastern/Pacific).
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21
8:00-9:00 p.m. The Goldbergs (premiering with two back-to-back episodes)
9:00-9:30 p.m. The Conners
9:30-10:00 p.m. black-ish
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28
8:30-9:00 p.m. American Housewife
Friday, May 22, 2020
Fri-Yay: Will HBO Max Work?; ABC Announces 2020-21 Season Programming

by Vincent
Next week is the official launch of HBO Max, the latest in a rapidly increasing streaming service wars that's emerging between the major media companies. HBO Max enters a market already pretty crowded by Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon, along with other recent launches like Apple TV, not to mention HBO's own HBO Go (which isn't going away despite the launch of HBO Max, somewhat confusingly.) But can HBO Max carve out its own niche in an increasingly crowded streaming market? It is debuting with a pretty impressive line-up, with shows with large established fanbases like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who, South Park and Rick and Morty soon to call the streamer home, along with upcoming originals such as the third season of Search Party (moving over from TBS following two critically acclaimed seasons), a handful of upcoming DC superhero-based projects (an area Netflix couldn't quite make work with its Marvel agreement ending after just a few years). Still, I have some reservations about HBO Max's success.
HBO Max, in a lot of ways, seems like a direct competitor to Netflix, seeming to aim for their mix of high-brow series with mainstream fare. That's different than something like Disney+, which was purely aimed at families and younger audience and has done a good job cornering that demographic. But there's really nothing separating HBO Max from the already-established trilogy of streamers other than their streaming library. Having Friends especially is an admittedly a big get. There's also not a clear brand for HBO Max, and the marketing has been slightly confusing. A lot of people might simply assume HBO Max is some sort of HBO Go extension, but there's really nothing particularly "HBO" about HBO Max other than the fact that you can get it through an HBO Go subscription. Still, in the increasingly competitive streaming wars, a brand for a service is very important. Netflix's brand has basically become "the streaming service" (it's widely the most used and being on Netflix almost gives way to a popularity boost in and of itself). Disney+ has a very strong brand thanks to its Disney content and its family-friendly approach. Hulu (which is now owned by Disney) is becoming Disney+'s more mature and experimental cousin (sort of what FX is to Fox). Amazon and Apple TV+ don't have great brands either, but they're also owned by billion-dollar conglomerates and are treated more as side projects of those mega corporations. But what is HBO Max? The branding so far seems to be "where you can watch Friends," which honestly might be enough given the popularity of Friends, but I remain skeptical. At the highest price point of any streamer ($14.99 a month following the initial $11.99 early deal puts it slightly above Netflix and ad-free Hulu, and well above Disney+'s $4.99 a month and Hulu Basic's $5.99 a month), it's hard for me to see too many people who aren't giant Friends or Big Bang Theory fans rushing to sign up for a subscription. Still, having two of the biggest sitcoms of the past 30 years on your service could be enough to buy the service time to carve a niche for itself. Whatever happens, these are interesting times for streaming services. With this and the launch of NBCUniversal's Peacock later this year, it'll be very interesting to see whether consumers are okay with throwing more money at an increasingly number of streaming services, or if they're okay sacrificing some of their favorite shows and movies for a smaller streaming bill at the end of the month.

Having just solidified its position as the No. 1 network in entertainment among Adults 18-49 for the first time in four years, ABC is announcing its 2020-2021 programming slate, which includes renewals for 19 series and two straight-to-series orders from its current crop of pilots – David E. Kelley's thriller Big Sky and the multi-camera comedy Call Your Mother (formerly My Village) from Kari Lizer (The New Adventures of Old Christine) – as well as the previously announced alternative series Supermarket Sweep with Leslie Jones. Nineteen series were renewed yesterday: American Housewife, The Bachelor, black-ish, The Conners, Dancing with the Stars, The Goldbergs, A Million Little Things, mixed-ish, The Rookie, Shark Tank, Stumptown, 20/20 and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. They join previously announced renewals of America's Funniest Home Videos, American Idol, The Bachelorette, The Good Doctor, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19 and the series order of Supermarket Sweep. Schedule to be announced at a later date.
Series that didn't make the cut for 2020-21 were Emergence, Bless This Mess, Single Parents, Schooled and Kids Say The Darndest Things. As for the new series pick-ups (so far): From visionary storyteller David E. Kelley comes Big Sky, a thriller created by Kelley, who will write multiple episodes and serve as showrunner in its premiere season. Private detectives Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury) and Cody Hoyt (Ryan Phillippe) join forces with his estranged wife and ex-cop Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick) to search for two sisters who have been kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana. But when they discover that these are not the only girls who have disappeared in the area, they must race against the clock to stop the killer before another woman is taken. Natalie Alyn Lind and John Carroll Lynch also star. In the comedy, Call Your Mother from Kari Lizer, this multicamera comedy follows an empty-nester mom who wonders how she ended up alone while her children live their best lives thousands of miles away. She decides her place is with her family and as she reinserts herself into their lives, her kids realize they might actually need her more than they thought. Kyra Sedgwick stars.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
New Comedy Series Old Guy on Various Platforms; Millionaire Marathon on ABC on April 29

Five Sisters Productions is back with a new six-episode comedic series, Old Guy, starring the Five Sisters' father, Roger Burton (Fargo, Shameless, Baskets), their mother Gabrielle Burton, and Peri Gilpin (Frasier's Roz). Beginning April 23, 2020, one episode will premiere each Thursday through May 31 on Vimeo and YouTube as well as Facebook and Instagram TV. Old Guy is a comedic series about ageism in media. Harry, played by Roger Burton, is going back to acting later in life, after raising his family and retiring from his traditional job. The show looks at his relationships with his wife, played by his real-life spouse Gabrielle Burton, who is a writer and tries to advise him on the value of the jobs he takes, and with his agent, Peri Gilpin, who is more interested in her commission than in what types of roles he plays. In each episode, Harry is challenged by playing an undeveloped character type that humorously highlights different stereotypes about old age. Old Guy will make you laugh, and make you think.
Old Guy is based on the real-life experiences of the Burton sisters' father, a psychology professor and musician who moved to Los Angeles after retirement. Soon after, he was "discovered" at a party and cast in a major motion picture, thus starting an acting career in his 70s. In contrast to his vital and active life as a man embarking on a 3rd career, Roger noticed that most of his parts fell into a limited number of narrow stereotypes - incontinent, impotent, lecherous - and were often not even given a character name other than... "Old Guy". The Burtons' mother, novelist and screenwriter Gabrielle B. Burton, who was in the middle of writing Don't Sit Down Yet, a book about aging and living fully until you die, thought Roger's experience was good fodder for a series and brought the idea to Five Sisters Productions. Looking deeper, Five Sisters found that studies show that television often depicts and thus reinforces a narrow stereotype of old age, and so were inspired to shine a comic light on the issue with the creation of Old Guy.

ABC will encore the first three episodes of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as a marathon for Wednesday, April 29 from 8-11pm. The ABC comedies will be preempted on the night so they can be extended into the May sweep. The ABC Wednesday comedies (The Goldbergs, Schooled, American Housewife, Single Parents) will have their season finales on Wednesday, May 13. All three Millionaire episodes to date hosted by Jimmy Kimmel will encore back-to-back in anticipation of its move to Thursday nights at 8pm on Thursday, April 30 where it will air for five weeks. ABC will air more Shark Tank Wednesdays at 10pm beginning May 6 replacing Millionaire's former slot. In other news, ABC Tuesday comedies (The Conners, Bless this Mess, mixed-ish, black-ish) will have their season finales on Tuesday, May 5. And finally, ABC's American Idol will finally go "live" on Sunday, April 26 for its final 4 episodes of the season. The live broadcasts will all be broadcast remotely.
Thursday, January 09, 2020
TCA Winter 2020 Press Tour: ABC Includes Modern Family Finale, The Conners Live and Return of Millionaire

Yesterday was day two of the TCA Winter 2020 Press Tour and ABC was up. We got many announcements, including the finale date for Modern Family. The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan are ready to say goodbye but not before giving fans one final night of belly laughs as one of television's great family comedies. Currently in its 11th and final season, ABC announced that the Emmy(R) Award-winning series Modern Family will air its series farewell episode on Wednesday, April 8, on ABC. In addition, ABC is giving fans the power to program an entire night filled with their favorite Modern Family episodes that will air Wednesday, March 11 from 8:00-11:00pm EDT. The night will kick off with the episode that started it all - the Modern Family series premiere - followed by five additional fan-chosen episodes, giving viewers a chance to gather their families for the ultimate Modern Family binge and relive some of the Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan's most hilarious, jaw-dropping and monumental moments. Voting for your favorite Modern Family episodes will begin Monday, Feb. 3, via a daily Twitter poll from the show's Twitter handle and concludes Friday, Feb. 7. Each day, a different selection of episodes will be available for fans to choose from for a curated night of Modern Family fun!

ABC will air a special live episode of top-rated comedy The Conners the night of the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 8:00pm EST. The cast will perform the episode live for both the East and West coast broadcasts. ABC News coverage of the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary will be incorporated into the story in real time as the results roll in during the evening. The live episode will find Mark (Ames McNamara) watching the results of the primary for a school report with Harris (Emma Kenney), who is apathetic to the electoral process and believes money's influence in politics means real change is impossible. The rest of the Conners share their differing takes on why they all think everyone should vote, including their working-class perspective that you may have to vote for a candidate you don't love but one that will "screw you the least." All of this happens against the backdrop of romance when Louise (guest star Katey Sagal) gets an opportunity that might send her away from Lanford, prompting the family to interfere in Dan's (John Goodman) complicated relationship with her by throwing Louise a surprise going-away party, creating major new tensions between Dan and his daughters.
Friday nights are about to see some shark-infested waters when Shark Tank, the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy® Award-winning entrepreneurial-themed reality show currently in its 11th season, returns to its Friday time slot on Feb. 28 at 8:00pm EST, while the hit comedy American Housewife moves to a new spot on the ABC comedy block beginning Wednesday, April 15 at 9:00pm EDT, following the conclusion of Modern Family. But before that, American Housewife will air at 9:30pm EDT for a few weeks starting March 18 once Single Parents wraps before moving to 9:00pm EDT on April 15. ABC has not announced what will air Wednesdays at 9:30pm beginning April 15 yet. Multi-camera comedy United We Fall hasn't been scheduled just yet.
Other scheduling news: ABC's compelling new modern-day fairy tale, The Baker and the Beauty, will take viewers on a flavor-filled adventure between relatable everyman Daniel and international superstar Noa. The drama premieres Monday, April 6 at 10:00pm EDT. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, which debuted in the U.S. as a prime-time series in January 2000, ABC's celebrated late-night staple and Emmy® Award-winning producer Jimmy Kimmel will be stepping into prime time as host of a special run of episodes featuring celebrity contestants playing for charity. In addition, a new interactive game will allow viewers to play along from home. Millionaire is set to premiere on Wednesday, April 8 at 10:00 pm EDT. The power of love knows no bounds as ABC further expands its hit-making Bachelor franchise with an all-new Bachelor Nation series, The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart, set to premiere Monday, April 13 from 8:00-10:00pm EDT. ABC announced the explosive series finale of How to Get Away with Murder will air Thursday, May 14 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. The critically acclaimed series, which will return for its six-episode killer farewell event on Thursday, April 2, is currently in its sixth and final season.
Finally, ABC is bringing back the classic TV game show Supermarket Sweep, hosted and executive produced by Emmy® Award-nominated comedienne and actress Leslie Jones. Produced by Fremantle, the fast-paced and energetic series follows three teams of two as they battle it out using their grocery shopping skills and knowledge of merchandise to win big cash prizes. The original format aired on ABC from 1965-1967 and went on to become a global sensation. It was adapted in 13 international territories and, most recently, relaunched in the UK. Production on the 10-episode order is set to begin this spring. An airdate will be announced at a later date. thirtysomething(else), a sequel to the groundbreaking series thirtysomething, has received a pilot pickup from ABC. The show will follow an ensemble of new faces playing the grown-up, 30-something children of the original cast reprised by Ken Olin (Michael Steadman), Mel Harris (Hope Murdoch), Timothy Busfield (Elliot Weston) and Patty Wettig (Nancy Weston). Apparently, raising children (even grown children) never ends, but who could have known how hard it would be for them to raise their parents? And finally, ABC announced that the network has picked up The Brides, a new pilot drama from executive producer/writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television to pilot. Maggie Kiley (American Horror Story, Riverdale, upcoming Katy Keene) is set to direct. The Brides, a sexy contemporary reimagining of Dracula, is a family drama with a trio of powerful female leads at its heart.
Thursday, December 05, 2019
Antenna TV's News Year's Day with NewsRadio Marathon; American Housewife Star Gets Netflix Comedy Specials

Ring in 2020 with laughter as NewsRadio returns to Antenna TV on New Year's Day with an all-day marathon starting at 5:00am EST on Wednesday, January 1, 2020. NewsRadio aired on Antenna TV in the past in 2011-2012 and now will make its return to the schedule, as we previously mentioned. The sitcom follows the work lives of the staff at an AM news radio station and stars Dave Foley, Stephen Root and Phil Hartman. Guest stars who will appear throughout the "News Year's Day with NewsRadio" marathon include Norm McDonald, Jane Lynch, John Ritter, Al Roker, Ben Stiller, Jon Stewart, Katie Couric and Jerry Seinfeld. Starting the very next day on Thursday, January 2, 2020, NewsRadio will air weeknights at 12:30am EST on Antenna TV. Stay with us for more on the January 2020 Antenna TV schedule, as more shows are joining!

Actress, comedian, and writer Ali Wong (American Housewife) has set a deal to bring her next two standup comedy specials to Netflix. The first of the two new specials will launch on Netflix globally in 2020. Ali Wong is a stand-up comic from San Francisco, now living in Los Angeles. Her first Netflix stand-up special Baby Cobra was filmed when she was 7 months pregnant. According to the New York Magazine, "The special's arrival on Netflix is the sort of star-making moment that unites the tastes of the unlikeliest fans." Elle applauded it as a "comic genius gem" while Vogue called it "The special that everyone is talking about." Emily Nussbaum hailed it as "funny and refreshingly rude." The day before its premiere, Wong's interview with Marc Maron on his podcast WTF was released. He called the special "the most honest, rawest, funniest special I've seen in years."
She soon after became a very popular Halloween costume. Fans, both male and female, dressed up in Wong's iconic red glasses, black and white striped dress and pregnant belly. The Smithsonian has asked Wong to donate the actual dress, shoes and necklace she wore in the Baby Cobra, to the Museum of American History in Washington, DC. Ali's second stand-up special, Hard Knock Wife premiered on Netflix on Mother's Day, 2018. Her feature film, Always Be My Maybe, which she co-wrote and co-stars in, debuted on Netflix May 2019 to wide critical acclaim with co-star Randall Park (Fresh off the Boat). In the first four weeks, it was seen by 32 million viewers. This Halloween, fans have continued to dress up as Wong in the striped dress, in the leopard dress and as her character, Sasha Tran, from Always Be My Maybe. Wong continues to be seen each week on ABC's comedy American Housewife and was a writer on Fresh off the Boat for its first three seasons.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Fri-Yay: Rick and Morty Season 4; ABC Midseason 2020 Schedule

by Vincent
After a long, long wait, the fourth season of Rick and Morty is finally airing on [adult swim]. In some ways, it's a miracle that the show, after all of its long hiatuses, still has as dedicated of a following as it does. The show started in 2014 but is just now starting its fourth season, as other comedies from the 2014 class such as Broad City, You're the Worst and BoJack Horseman are all ended or ending. But the show has an extremely dedicated fanbase, a testament to how well-written and perfectly crafted the series in. Four seasons in, the series still feels fresh, a sign of just what a well-constructed series it is.
Season 4 of Rick and Morty, which premiered last week and just aired its second episode, is as fresh as ever. Yes, the series has lost some of that "wow" factor it had in its first two seasons, but that's likely just a result of us adjusting to the show's wavelength. The show is still able to creatively mix comedy and time travel, and do so effortlessly. It's remarkable that even with so much time passing in between seasons (it's been over 2 years since the end of Season 3), I'm still just as drawn in by the show as ever. Even if it takes another two years, I'll always be down for more Rick and Morty.

ABC has announced its 2020 midseason schedule. Among the highlights include the new drama For Life, from Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 10:00 p.m. EST and launches a new season of American Idol on Sunday, Feb. 16 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST, following The Oscars® a week prior on Sunday, Feb. 9. On Thursday, Jan. 23 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST, Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy” start the evening with a powerful two-hour crossover event followed by the highly anticipated return of A Million Little Things at its new time period of 10:00 p.m. EST. Station 19 debuts in its new time period at 8 p.m. EST followed by Grey's Anatomy moving back to 9 p.m. EST, in its powerhouse timeslot of many years.
As previously announced, The Bachelor kicks off Monday, Jan. 6 from 8:00-11:00 p.m. EST, with a three-hour premiere, with The Good Doctor returning with brand new episodes on Jan. 13 at 10:00 p.m. EST. The multiple, consecutive night event JEOPARDY! The Greatest of All Time premieres Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 8:00 p.m. EST. As far as ABC comedies, mixed-ish and black-ish return with winter premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 9:00 p.m. EST, while Modern Family & Single Parents return on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 9:00 p.m. EST. ABC's 8:00 p.m. EST comedies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (The Connors, Bless this Mess, The Goldbergs, Schooled) will return following the conclusion of the JEOPARDY! primetime event (the returns could be Jan. 15 and Jan. 21). Friday comedies American Housewife and Fresh off the Boat return on Friday, Jan. 17, with Fresh ending its run on Friday, Feb. 21.
Other returning series dates include Emergence on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 10, Stumptown on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 10, The Rookie on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 10 and the final episodes of How to Get Away with Murder on Thursday, April 2 at 10. Additional premiere dates (such as new comedy United We Fall and new drama The Baker & the Beauty) and schedule details will be announced at a later time (AFV, Kids Say, Shark Tank are expected to continue to air on Sundays this winter).
Friday, November 08, 2019
Fri-Yay: Thoughts on Netflix's Living with Yourself; ABC Orders More Episodes of American Housewife and Bless This Mess

Living with Yourself: A potentially great comedy-drama squandered by some questionable decisions
by Vincent
A few weeks ago, Netflix released its latest "comedy," the half-hour science fiction series about cloning entitled Living with Yourself. Starring Paul Rudd, the series really stretches the definition of a sitcom. But it's being billed as a comedy series, and has a 30 minute running time, so technically, in the eyes of Netflix, it's a member of their "comedy" slate. That speaks to the trouble Netflix has had in establishing itself in the live action comedy brand...but we'll get to that in a second. Living with Yourself is in some ways a very good series. The acting is phenomenal, the concept is very cool, and the series actually does a good job of maintaining the comedy-drama balance. Cloning yourself and having your clone ruin your life is kind of a funny concept (there was a very funny American Dad! episode about it I couldn't stop thinking about during this series), so it's a smart move to combine comedy and science fiction with such a concept, and what better guy to do that than Paul Rudd, who is one of Hollywood's most likable actors?
And yet, like so much of Netflix's programming recently, the show falls just a little bit short. So much of that is because (again, much like a lot of Netflix's slate) the show feels designed to "bingeable" more than "good." The series rushes through a lot of the fun elements of the concept in favor of unexpected twists and turns, resulting in a finish that is less than the sum of its parts. That's why I think Netflix has had such a hard time establishing a truly great live action comedy series that lasts for more than a few seasons. Sitcoms are at their best when they're living in the moment, exploding every inch of their world and characters. The Netflix comedies that understood this are all from the early slate of their original series such as Kimmy Schmidt or Grace and Frankie, or they're cut down before their prime like One Day at a Time. In this new era of Netflix's instant gratification, a truly good comedy just doesn't fit.

ABC comedies American Housewife and Bless This Mess have been given full-season orders. The network has ordered six additional episodes of each show. This means Housewife is now 21 episodes (original order for the season was 15) and Bless this Mess will run for 19 episodes (up from the original 13 ordered). Currently in its 4th season on the network, American Housewife stars Katy Mixon as Katie Otto, Diedrich Bader as Greg Otto, Meg Donnelly as Taylor Otto, Daniel DiMaggio as Oliver Otto, Julia Butters as Anna-Kat Otto, Carly Hughes as Angela and Ali Wong as Doris. Sophomore series Bless This Mess stars Lake Bell as Rio, Dax Shepard as Mike, Ed Begley Jr. as Rudy, Pam Grier as Constance, JT Neal as Jacob, David Koechner as Beau, Lennon Parham as Kay and Langston Kerman as Brandon.
On the next episode of American Housewife, entitled "Flavor of Westport," Katie teams up with Oliver in hopes of growing her lasagna-making endeavor from hobby to serious business venture. Meanwhile, a bout of writer's block forces Greg to look at new career opportunities. When a young YouTube sensation enlists Greg's help to ghostwrite his memoir, Greg is pushed out of his comfort zone on an all-new American Housewife, Friday, Nov. 15 at 8:00 p.m. EST, on ABC.

On the next episode of Bless This Mess, entitled "The Visit," Donna springs a last-minute trip to Nebraska on Mike and Rio, which she claims is to relax, but Mike and Rio soon find out she has other plans in mind when she steps into competitive mode to get them to participate in the harvest. Meanwhile, Constance's son Brandon is driving her crazy working at the store, so she pawns him off on Rudy on an all-new episode of Bless This Mess, Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 8:30 p.m. EST, on ABC.
Tuesday, November 05, 2019
ABC 2019 Holiday Specials and Episodes; E! Sets Date for Reality Sitcom

ABC is the home for unforgettable holiday programming as the network celebrates the joy of the season. In November, the network serves up a bounty of Thanksgiving-themed episodes and the classic animated special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. In December, ABC decks the halls with special Christmas and Hanukkah-themed episodes - the return of fan-favorite series The Great Christmas Light Fight on Monday, Dec. 2 and The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition on Thursday, Dec. 12; and an all-new holiday movie, Same Time, Next Christmas, starring Lea Michele on Thursday, Dec. 5. Timeless cartoons and beloved holiday films will also return. The fun continues after Christmas with New Year's-themed programming ringing in 2020.
The Conners, Bless this Mess, mixed-ish, black-ish, The Goldbergs, Schooled, Modern Family, Single Parents, Fresh off the Boat, American Housewife and Stumptown are among the series to feature holiday episodes. 'Tis the Season for The Great Christmas Light Fight, The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition and CMA Country Christmas all return with new installments, along with the all-new film Same Time, Next Christmas joins beloved holiday specials and movies, including A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Sound of Music, Prep & Landing, Shrek the Halls, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Toy Story Time That Forgot and more! View the ABC lineup of specials.

E! is rolling out fresh pop culture programming in January with new episodes of the Very Cavallari, starring lifestyle tastemaker and entrepreneur Kristin Cavallari, and the series premiere of new reality sitcom Meet the Frasers, following Rhode Island celebrity medium Matt Fraser and his family. The third season of Very Cavallari premieres Thursday, January 9 at 9:00pm ET/PT, and Meet the Frasers premieres Monday, January 13 at 10:00pm ET/PT on E!
Matt Fraser, a 28-year-old psychic medium, and his 21-year-old pageant queen girlfriend Alexa Papigiotis are highly visible local celebrities in their hometown of Cranston, Rhode Island. Matt and Alexa are envisioning big things for their future; Matt's captivating live reading events are growing more popular and his book "When Heaven Calls" will soon be published. And while Alexa supports Matt on his coast to coast tour, she's got big dreams of her own. She's setting her sights on winning her next pageant title and procuring a fabulous engagement ring. This couple is definitely on the rise - as long as their overly-involved families don't get in the way. The eccentric family does everything together, from driving to Matt's readings in an SUV emblazoned with his likeness, to debating if there's such a thing as too much bling when Matt decides they need to wear matching jackets while working his events. Matt and Alexa can always count on their families to give them unwavering support and advice – even when they haven’t asked for it.
Monday, October 14, 2019
ABC Gears Up for Halloween with Specials and Sitcom Episodes; truTV Comedy Returns for Season 5

ABC is the place for ghoulish good fun as the network counts down to Halloween with special holiday-themed episodes of comedies, plus America's Funniest Home Videos, Dancing with the Stars, Grey's Anatomy and Jimmy Kimmel Live! On daytime, all of Port Charles gathers for a Halloween bash on General Hospital. Classic Halloween specials It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Toy Story OF TERROR! also return for encore performances. The fun begins Sunday, October 20! We will highlight all of ABC's comedies for this stunt:
FRIDAY, OCT. 25
8:00PM American Housewife - "The Maze" - Katie ignores Greg's warning and takes Anna-Kat through a terrifying zombie-themed maze at the annual Halloween carnival. Once inside, Katie quickly regrets her decision and sends Anna-Kat to find help. Meanwhile, Greg has entered a pumpkin carving contest and is ready to go head-to-head against the previous year's winners.
8:30PM Fresh Off the Boat - "HAL-LOU-WEEN" - It's Halloween again, and with Eddie getting closer to college (maybe), the Huang boys are determined to find a group costume they can all agree on. Meanwhile, Louis decides this is the year he'll finally show Jessica why his favorite spooky holiday is so great.
TUESDAY, OCT. 29
8:00PM The Conners - "Nightmare on Lunch Box Street" - Halloween brings nothing but horror for Jackie after she uncovers a shocking secret when trying to reopen the Lunch Box. Meanwhile, Mary gets upset when a woman assumes she is adopted, and Darlene continues to deal with her complicated love life.
8:30PM Bless This Mess - "Scare Night" - Mike and Rio first met on Halloween years ago, so now Mike loves to commemorate the holiday by scaring the wits out of Rio all night. Unbeknownst to Mike, Rio actually hates the scares but is afraid to tell Mike. When Rio turns the tables on Mike and tries to scare him into ending Scare Night, Mike gets bitten by a bat and the night escalates from there.
9:00PM mixed-ish - "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - The popular girls at school ask Rainbow to join their group Halloween costume as Tootie from The Facts of Life. She thinks this is finally her opportunity to fit in, but Denise views the situation differently. Meanwhile, Alicia doesn't want the kids to go trick-or-treating after Harrison and his colleagues tell her about all the dangerous things that can happen.
9:30PM black-ish - "Everybody Blames Raymond" - Halloween is around the corner and the Johnsons are definitely not seeing eye to eye on the family costume. The only thing they do agree on is that Jack's new friend Raymond has got to go. Meanwhile, Junior wants Devante's first trick-or-treating experience to be perfect.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30
8:00PM The Goldbergs - "A 100% True Ghost Story" - Beverly scores a bargain on four paintings. Once they make it home, she and Adam determine something supernatural is causing them to be destroyed. Much to Murray's dismay, they call a psychic for help. Meanwhile, Barry decides to throw a huge "Rocky Horror Picture Show"-themed party against Erica's wishes. Their confrontation leads to a visit to the dean's office. Rocky Horror Picture Show alum Barry Bostwick guest stars as Professor Majors.
8:30PM Schooled - "Run, Rick, Run" - Coach Mellor is excited to celebrate Halloween in a couple's costume with Julie, but his plan might be derailed by Principal Glascott's faculty-parent dating rules. Meanwhile, CB uses The Blair Witch Project to attempt to scare the students into not tormenting each other during the school's annual Halloween parade.
9:00PM Modern Family - "The Last Halloween" - Phil is determined to finally scare Claire on Halloween. Meanwhile, for the first time, Gloria is feeling self-conscious about her age when someone correctly assumes she is Jay's wife; and Mitch and Cam head to the WeHo Halloween Carnival after Lily decides to go to her first Halloween party alone.
9:30PM Single Parents - "Welcome to Hell, Sickos!"- It's Halloween night at Hilltop Elementary and the kids head to the school for a spooky celebration with Douglas. Will struggles with whether he should stay with Sophie at the school party or if he should swing by his girlfriend Tracy Freeze's birthday, which results in a stressful night for Will trying to do both. Meanwhile, Poppy and Angie throw a Halloween party for teens at Douglas' house in order to try to prove to themselves that they are cool moms.

truTV's hit series The Carbonaro Effect, starring comedian and prankster Michael Carbonaro, returns with its fifth season on Thursday, November 7 at 10:00pm ET/PT with more hilarious, mind blowing hidden camera magic than ever before. In these all-new eight half-hour episodes, viewers will watch in disbelief as Michael raises the spirt and body of a nun and takes the phrases "cat lady" and "grass fed beef" literally! Whether working at a bookstore, antique shop, or auditioning for his next big role, Michael's hilarious and bewildering illusions leave audiences both scratching their heads and rolling with laughter! In the premiere episode, Michael wows directors with costume changes but cracks when he sings. Plus, things get sticky when he demos flying post-its. Then, Michael's co-worker's jaw drops when a shapeshifting tenant returns while they clean house.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
ABC Sets Reunions of Cheers, The Drew Carey Show, Girlfriends, Charmed, Castle and More; NBC Renews Titan Games for Season 2

Cast members and creative teams from iconic television series and films reunite on ABC prime time in "Cast from the Past Week," beginning Monday, Oct. 7. Featured will be actors and behind-the-scenes talent from Blues Brothers 2000, Castle, Charmed, Cheers, Crazy Rich Asians, The Drew Carey Show, Girlfriends, House, Think Like a Man and Wet Hot American Summer as they reunite with former castmates on ABC dramas and comedies in an unforgettable week-long event. The following are details about participating shows; all times are EDT:
MONDAY, OCT. 7
10PM The Good Doctor – Robert Sean Leonard (House) checks into The Good Doctor. Both series were created by executive producer David Shore.
TUESDAY, OCT. 8
8PM The Conners – This episode reunites John Goodman and Dan Aykroyd (Blues Brothers 2000) as poker buddies.
8:30PM Bless this Mess – Michael Ian Black is reunited with Wet Hot American Summer's Lake Bell when he guest stars.
9:30PM black-ish – Girlfriends stars Golden Brooks, Jill Marie Jones and Persia White reunite with Tracee Ellis Ross.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 9
8PM The Goldbergs – Stars of the iconic '80s hit comedy Cheers Kirstie Alley, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger and George Wendt reunite.
9:30PM Single Parents – Adam Brody, Leighton Meester's real-life husband and former co-star (Life Partners, The Oranges), returns as Angie's ex-boyfriend Derek.
THURSDAY, OCT. 10
8PM Grey's Anatomy – Charmed stars Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs are reunited with executive producers Krista Vernoff and Andy Reaser, who were writers on Charmed.
9PM A Million Little Things – Jerry Ferrara guest stars and is reunited with Think Like a Man castmate Romany Malco.
FRIDAY, OCT. 11
8PM American Housewife – Westport rocks as Drew Carey, Ryan Stiles and Kathy Kinney guest star in an episode that reunites them with Diedrich Bader.
8:30PM Fresh off the Boat – Ken Jeong (Crazy Rich Asians) returns as Louis's brother Gene and to ABC Friday (previously on Dr. Ken).
SUNDAY, OCT. 13
10PM The Rookie – Castle alums Seamus Deaver and Jon Huertas guest star and reunite with Nathan Fillion.

NBC has renewed the epic athletic competition series The Titan Games for a second season. In its first season, The Titan Games scored a 1.7 rating in adults 18-49 with 6.0 million viewers overall in "live plus seven day" Nielsens, and those figures grew to a 2.6 in 18-49 and 8.6 million viewers after 35 days of digital and linear delayed viewing. The Titan Games improved NBC's Thursday 8 p.m. timeslot by 19% or 1.2 million persons in total viewers versus NBC's results in the timeslot one year earlier.
Inspired by Johnson's desire to motivate global audiences to reach their potential for greatness, The Titan Games gives men and women across the country the opportunity to step inside the Titan arena and achieve the impossible. Competitors push their bodies to the limit by battling opponents in unforgiving head-to-head challenges, designed by Johnson. Winners advance to the ultimate challenge of Mt. Olympus, the consummate athletic test of speed, strength, agility and endurance. The Titan Games not only tests the competitors' physical strength, but also their mental and emotional fortitude.
Wednesday, July 03, 2019
ABC Fall 2019 Premiere Dates; Celebrate Seinfeld's 30th in NYC

ABC has set fall premiere dates for its new and returning series for the 2019-2020 season. It all starts with the return of TV's preeminent competition series, Dancing with the Stars, on Monday, Sept. 16 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT. The Good Doctor resumes its residency one week later – Monday, Sept. 23 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. On Tuesday, Sept. 24, The Conners returns at 8:00 p.m. EDT, followed by Bless This Mess at its new time at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Next, the black-ish universe expands with the series debut of mixed-ish at 9:00 p.m. EDT, which tells the story of Rainbow Johnson's (Tracee Ellis Ross) experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the '80s; and black-ish launches its sixth season at its new time at 9:30 p.m. EDT. The night culminates with the series premiere of new drama Emergence, starring Allison Tolman as a police chief trying to unravel a mystery involving a young child at 10:00 p.m. EDT.
The Goldbergs kicks off the night on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, followed by Schooled at 8:30 p.m. EDT; the historic, final season debut of Modern Family at 9:00 p.m. EDT; and the season two premiere of Single Parents at 9:30 p.m. EDT. The series premiere of new drama Stumptown, based on the graphic novel and starring Cobie Smulders, rounds out the night at 10:00 p.m. EDT. The longest-running prime-time medical drama, Grey's Anatomy, launches its 16th season on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, followed by the season premieres of A Million Little Things at 9:00 p.m. EDT and How to Get Away with Murder at 10:00 p.m. EDT. American Housewife bows on its new night and time on TGIF, Friday, Sept. 27 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, followed by the season premiere of Fresh Off the Boat at its new time at 8:30 p.m. EDT, and ABC News' 20/20 from 9:00-11:00 p.m. EDT. On Sunday, Sept. 29, AFV launches its 30th season at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Shark Tank, dives into season 11 at 9:00 p.m. EDT; followed by The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion, which premieres on its new night and time at 10:00 p.m. EDT.
And finally, Sunday, Oct. 6, marks the series premiere of Kids Say the Darndest Things at 8:00 p.m. EDT. This fresh take on a TV classic is hosted and executive produced by comedic superstar Tiffany Haddish. No word yet on what will air at 8:00 p.m. on this night on Sept. 29.

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Seinfeld at The Shops at Columbus Circle (second floor mezzanine) in New York City with an interactive Seinfeld experience; take the Seinfeld trivia quiz; or have a seat in Jerry's living room (now there's a photo op or social media post). Guests will receive Seinfeld 30th anniversary prizes, including limited-edition Junior Mints and an exclusive Seinfeld 30th anniversary dictionaries survival kit. The Catch (as George would say): None. Nada. Nil. The interactive installation is free and open to the public – no reservations or tickets are required. The celebration lasts Saturday, July 6 until Tuesday, July 9 at The Shops at Columbus Circle - 10 Columbus Circle (59th St., Second Floor Mezzanine) in New York City. Visit www.theshopsatcolumbuscircle.com. Share your experience and tag your experience on Instagram @theshopsatcolumbuscircle @SeinfeldTV and use #Seinfeld30.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Saturday, August 29
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Heartbreak and the Refuge of the Downtrodden" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie, Mandy and the family do their best to lift Connor’s spirits during a rough patch while Connor tries to figure out a plan for his life.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 24)
Saturday, August 29 and Auguest 30
- Amy Poehler (Duncanville/Parks and Recreation) and Will Ferrell (The Hawk/The Office) - Amy and Will bond over their box office bomb on a repeat of The Weekend View on ABC News Live at 7:30am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/29/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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