SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

• The revival of A Different World arrives Thursday on Netflix.
• Brothers, which is the third U.S. sitcom to hold that title but the first to star Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, debuts Wednesday on Apple TV.
• Many game shows start their new season on Monday, including The Price is Right.

Fox has announced premiere dates for The Masked Singer (Dec. 27), Call Me Kat (Jan. 3), Last Man Standing (Jan. 3), Hell's Kitchen (Jan. 7), The Resident (Jan. 12), Prodigal Son (Jan. 12), 9-1-1 (Jan. 18), and 9-1-1: Lone Star (Jan. 18).

This December, Fox takes TV’s #1 show and adds a little twist. Based on the smash hit FOX series The Masked Singer and inspired by a popular segment featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, all-new celebrity competition series The Masked Dancer will have a special premiere Sunday, Dec. 27 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/5:00-6:00 PM PT, Live to all Time Zones), before having its time period premiere Wednesday, Jan. 6 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). Hosted by comedian/actor Craig Robinson (Ghosted, The Office) and featuring celebrity panelists Ken Jeong (The Masked Singer, I Can See Your Voice), world-famous choreographer and singer Paula Abdul, actor and the former “Giraffe” Mask on The Masked Singer Brian Austin Green and actress and singer Ashley Tisdale, The Masked Dancer will feature celebrity contestants shaking their tail feathers, while covered from head-to-toe in elaborate costumes and face masks, leaving audiences to guess their identities.

New comedy Call Me Kat, starring Emmy Award nominee Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), and executive-produced by Bialik, Emmy Award-nominated producer Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory, The Boys in the Band) and Darlene Hunt (The Big C), will have a special series premiere Sunday, Jan. 3 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), following the NFL on Fox doubleheader. The series then makes its time period premiere Thursday, Jan. 7 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT). Based on the BBC UK original series Miranda, Call Me Kat stars Bialik as a woman who struggles every day against society and her mother to prove that she can still live a happy and fulfilling life despite still being single at 39. Which is why she recently spent her entire savings to open a cat café in Louisville, Kentucky. It was expected of Kat (Bialik) to be married with kids by now, but for many reasons, she’s still single – and totally fine with it. Of course, Kat’s mother, Sheila (Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe nominee Swoosie Kurtz, Mike & Molly, Sisters), views her daughter’s single-hood as her own personal failure, but Kat remains determined to live a fulfilling life, and charts her own course to happiness. Working alongside Kat at the café are Randi (Kyla Pratt, One on One), a confident millennial and self-proclaimed “non” cat person; and Phil (Emmy Award winner Leslie Jordan, The Cool Kids, Will & Grace), who recently broke up with his longtime partner. Although Kat celebrates her independence, her single-forever plans may begin to veer off-course, when her former crush and good friend, Max (Cheyenne Jackson, American Horror Story, 30 Rock), returns to town and takes a job as a bartender at the piano bar across the street, working with his friend, Carter (Julian Gant, Good Girls).

Entering its ninth and final season, hit comedy Last Man Standing will have a special season premiere Sunday, Jan. 3 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT), following the series premiere of Call Me Kat. Last Man Standing makes its time period premiere Thursday, Jan. 7 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT). The series stars Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, a happily married father of three daughters, who finds himself the odd man out in a home dominated by women. The series also stars Nancy Travis, Amanda Fuller, Molly McCook, Christoph Sanders, Jordan Masterson, Jonathan Adams, Krista Marie Yu and Hector Elizondo. After the events of the eighth season finale, during which Kristin (Fuller) went into labor with her baby daughter, while Mandy (McCook) was pregnant with her first child, the series will jump ahead into the near future, when Mike and his wife, Vanessa (Travis), will contemplate their own future, including Mike’s imminent retirement from his lifelong job at Outdoor Man – and who could be his successor.

Also on Thursday, Jan. 7 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), hit culinary competition series Hell's Kitchen returns for its 19th season in a flashy new setting, as Chef Gordon Ramsay takes the show to Las Vegas, the city that’s home to the world’s first Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen restaurant at Caesars Palace. Season Four of The Resident, premiering Tuesday, Jan. 12 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), continues to shine a light on the daily heroism of today’s health care workers. From executive producer Greg Berlanti, Season Two of Prodigal Son premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 12 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). Prodigal Son follows Malcom Bright (Tom Payne), a criminal profiler with a rare talent for getting inside the minds of killers. Fox’s #1 drama, 9-1-1, and last season’s #1 new scripted series, 9-1-1: Lone Star, will have their back-to-back season premieres on Monday, Jan. 18.

Building on its success as the season’s No. 1 entertainment network among Adults 18-49 and in Total Viewers, ABC will expand its roster of stellar, buzzworthy unscripted programming with the addition of several new shows set to premiere early next year, along with the return of some of the most popular and well-known titles on television.

January will welcome Matt James as The Bachelor for the momentous 25th season of the ABC hit romance reality series. Last season, The Bachelor ranked as Monday’s No. 1 broadcast program in Adults 18-49 and was TV’s No. 1 show among Women 18-34. Matt will start handing out roses on Monday, Jan. 4.

An all-new game show block kicks off Thursday, Jan. 7, with the series premieres of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune with Pat Sajak and Vanna White; The Chase hosted by ABC's The View's Sara Haines and featuring James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter all from Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time; and The Hustler hosted by Craig Ferguson.

Anthony Anderson and Mama Doris return on an all-new season of To Tell The Truth on Tuesday, Jan. 26; and Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Ryan Seacrest and Bobby Bones return for a new season of the star-making series American Idol on Sunday, Feb. 14.

The ABC Television Network will premiere the new dramas Whiskey Cavalier on Wednesday, Feb. 27 from 10:00-11:00 p.m. EST; The Fix on Monday, March 18 from 10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT; and Grand Hotel on Monday, June 17 from 10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT. Returning drama For The People will debut Season 2 on Thursday, March 7 at 10:00 p.m. EST. Following its highly anticipated winter finale airing last night, A Million Little Things returns on a new night, Thursday, Jan. 17 at 9:00 p.m. EST following Grey's Anatomy. As a result, Station 19 will return on Thursday, March 17 at 9:00 p.m. In alternative and reality programming, America's Funniest Home Videos expands to two hours starting Sunday, Jan. 6, followed by a two-hour block of Shark Tank. AFV starts the evening with a fan-favorite, previously aired installment at 7:00 p.m. EST, followed by a new episode at 8:00 p.m. EST. The family fun continues with Shark Tank, featuring one original episode at 9:00 p.m. EST and one previously aired edition at 10:00 p.m. EST.

ABC will launch its second season of the iconic American Idol on Sunday, March 3 from 8:00-10:01 p.m. EST. Idol is also expected to air Mondays from 8-10pm, as ABC will not air a spring edition of Dancing with the Stars this season. When American Idol premieres on Sundays, AFV original episodes will return to 7:00 p.m. EST, and new editions of Shark Tank will air 10:01 p.m. EST. A new season of Match Game premieres Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 10:00 p.m. EST following ABC Funny Wednesday comedies. As previously announced, the spinoff comedy Schooled also debuts on Jan. 9 at 8:30 p.m. EST, immediately following The Goldbergs at 8:00 p.m. EST; and American Housewife returns on its new night, Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 8:00 p.m. EST following the conclusion of the season of The Connors.

Eight weeks of two-hour 20/20 programming kicks off on Friday, Jan. 4 from 9:00-11:00 p.m. EST, and features brand-new interviews with key players in the biggest newsmaker stories in recent American history. Each documentary takes a look at these cases through a modern lens, challenges original perceptions, and sheds new light on each story.

truTV invites guests back into the rich, imaginative - and slightly deranged - world of At Home with Amy Sedaris when the Emmy(R)-nominated series returns for its second season Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT. Created by Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello (Strangers with Candy), the 10-episode season of this one-of-a-kind comedy will again feature Sedaris' signature brand of silliness as she showcases her decorating, cooking and crafting skills. This season, Sedaris welcomes an impressive list of guest stars, including: Rose Byrne, Matthew Broderick, Justin Theroux, Susan Sarandon, Gillian Jacobs, Juliette Lewis, Ellie Kemper, Fred Armisen, Michael Shannon, Ann Dowd, Martha Plimpton, Jessica Walter, Campbell Scott, Billy Crudup, Bridget Everett, Julie Klausner, Paul W. Downs, Janeane Garofalo, Richard Kind, Thomas Lennon, David Krumholtz, Ana Gasteyer, Darrell Hammond, Jackie Hoffman, John Early, James Monroe Iglehart, Matt Malloy, and more.

Each week of At Home with Amy Sedaris revolves around a conventional homemaking theme, with subversive twists taking segments in delightfully wacky directions. New topics explored this season include how to entertain teenagers, game nights, caring for the ill and makeovers. Hailed as "a disturbing and delicious beast" (The New York Times), "life-affirming" (The A.V. Club) and "bonkers DIY" (Variety), the series emerged as a critical hit in its debut season, garnering massive social engagement and earning an Emmy nomination in the Variety Sketch category, as well as a recent WGA Award nomination in the Comedy/Variety Sketch Series category.

ABC's Dancing with the Stars sets its sights on the sports world when it returns with a special all-athletes edition in the spring of 2018. Ten athletes from all corners of the sports world will be teamed up with the show's professional dancers and compete on the ballroom floor for a chance to win the coveted Mirrorball trophy. Hosted by two-time Emmy(R)-winning host Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews, the special all-athletes edition of Dancing with the Stars will air live. The athletes will perform choreographed dance routines that are judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts, as well as viewer votes. This special edition will premiere in late April 2018 and last for a month, according to Tom Bergeron. American Idol will likely be airing Sunday and Monday nights this Spring, so Dancing will only air four weeks in Spring. A "regular sized" 10 week season will return in Fall 2018. More info to come when ABC announces its 2018 mid-season schedule and plans.

OWN's new Tyler Perry comedy The Paynes will have its series premiere on Tuesday, January 16 with two back-to-back episodes at 10:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The Paynes, a spin-off of beloved Perry comedy House of Payne, follows Ella and Curtis Payne (Cassi Davis and LaVan Davis) through the ups and downs of retirement. The series also stars Emmy-winning actress Jackée Harry (227, Sister, Sister). Additionally, Perry's hit drama series The Haves and the Have Nots, starring Tika Sumpter and John Schneider, will return for a fifth season on Tuesday, January 9 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT and drama series If Loving You is Wrong will return with all-new episodes on a new day and time, Wednesday, January 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The Paynes (Series Premiere Tuesday, January 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT; moves to regular timeslot Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on January 20). In Tyler Perry's new comedy series, The Paynes, Cassi Davis and LaVan Davis reprise their roles as Ella and Curtis Payne, from the hit series House of Payne. As Curtis and Ella are enjoying their retirement, a death in the family takes them on the road to Florida, where Curtis is roped into a real estate deal that will tumble their lives like clothes in a dryer - with plenty of laughs and life lessons along the way. The Paynes also stars Emmy-winner Jackeé Harry, Stephanie Charles, Markice Moore, JD McCrary, Sanai Victoria and Anthony O. Dalton.

SundanceTV celebrates Mother's Day with its "Ultimate Mother's Day Marathon," beginning Sunday, May 14 at 6 AM ET/5 AM CT. The programming event will feature back-to-back episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show in addition to four films that tug at the heartstrings or bring a smile to one's face. The "Ultimate Mother's Day Marathon" begins with The Mary Tyler Moore Show, created by James L. Brooks, in celebration of Moore's life’s work. Immediately following is Susan Sarandon's Golden Globe® nominated performance in the heartwarming family film Stepmom, and Jane Fonda in the comedy Monster-in-Law alongside Jennifer Lopez. The day-long programming event is rounded out by two heartwarming romantic comedies, Sweet Home Alabama starring Reese Witherspoon and the network premiere of Jennifer Lawrence's Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winning performance in Silver Linings Playbook.

With the upfront week approaching next week, we have more upfront news with some pickups, renewals and cancellations. First at Fox, they have canceled dramas Rosewood and Sleepy Hollow, but picked up new series Marvel's The Gifted. The series focuses on a suburban couple whose ordinary lives are rocked by the sudden discovery that their children possess mutant powers. Series stars Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker, Sean Teale, Marcos Diaz, Jamie Chung, Coby Bell, Emma Dumont, Blair Redford, Natalie Alyn Lind and Percy Hynes White. Moving on to ABC, ABC is bringing back American Idol. The network has closed an agreement with producers FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group. Together they will revive television's most successful and recognized music competition series for the 2017-2018 season, bringing back the fan-favorite and making more dreams come true. A host and judges will be announced at a later time. And finally, NBC has renewed drama Taken for a second season and has upped its episode order to 16 (as the first season only had 10).

• A very unexpected release was announced this week as Shout! Factory announced they would be bringing the 1960s legal drama (which also inspired a short-lived revival on CBS in 2010) The Defenders to DVD. The classic series starred E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed, and aired from 1961 until 1965. The Defenders - Season One arrives on DVD on July 12.
• Shout! Factory will also be moving forward with Sisters in their release of Sisters - Season Five on July 19.

• Family Matters - The Complete Sixth Season (DVD, $29.99): Warner Archive moves ahead with their releases of the classic TGIF series with this release of the sixth season
• Grace and Frankie - Season One (DVD, $29.98): The hit Netflix series arrives on DVD for the first time in this release.
• Welcome to Sweden - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $34.98): It wasn't really much of a hit for NBC, but the second (and final) season of the series arrives for those who did enjoy it.

Fox is announcing premiere dates for new series Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life (Jan. 3), Bordertown (Jan. 3), Second Chance (Jan. 13) and Lucifer (Jan. 25); and returning series New Girl (Jan. 5), American Idol (Jan. 6 and Jan. 7) and Hell's Kitchen (Jan. 15). In addition, Brooklyn Nine-Nine will move to Tuesdays at 9:00PM ET/PT on Jan. 5, joining Grandfathered at 8:30PM ET/PT and The Grinder at 9:30PM ET/PT, each in new time periods following New Girl at 8. As previously announced, the special Superhuman airs Jan. 4; The X-Files returns Jan. 24 and Jan. 25; and three-hour LIVE musical event Grease: Live will air Jan. 31.

Two new comedies join the Sunday night lineup on Sunday, Jan. 3. New ensemble comedy Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life will premiere at 8:30PM ET/PT, following an all-new The Simpsons. Then, following an all-new Family Guy, new animated comedy Bordertown will debut at 9:30PM ET/PT and stars the voices of Hank Azaria, Alex Borstein, Judah Friedlander, Nicholas Gonzalez and Missi Pyle. Tuesday nights of comedy continue Jan. 5 with an all-new lineup, including: the Season Five premiere of New Girl at 8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT; the time period premiere of Grandfathered, which moves to 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT; all new episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine - on a new night and time - at 9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT; and the time period premiere of The Grinder at 9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT.

American Idol will begin its 15th - and farewell - season with a special two-night, four-hour premiere event Wednesday, Jan. 6 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Thursday, Jan. 7 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). New drama Second Chance (fka Lookinglass) debuts Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, following the time-period premiere of Idol from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT. Masterchef Junior continues on Fridays returning with a special two-hour episode on Friday, Jan. 8 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. Hell's Kitchen, starring fiery chef Gordon Ramsay, cooks up its 15th season beginning Friday, Jan. 15 at 9:00PM ET/PT), following an all-new episode of Masterchef Junior in its regular time period from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT.

Lucifer, the new drama starring Tom Ellis (Merlin), premieres Monday, Jan. 25 at 9:00PM ET/PT, after the time period premiere of The X-Files at 8:00PM ET/PT. As previously announced, Superhuman, a new two-hour special hosted by actor Kal Penn that tests the extraordinary skills of 12 contestants, premieres Monday, Jan. 4 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. The next mind-bending chapter of The X-Files debuts with a special two-night event beginning Sunday, Jan. 24 from 10:00-11:00 PM ET/7:00-8:00 PM PT, following the NFC Championship Game, and continuing with its time period premiere on Monday, Jan. 25 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT. Grease: Live, a three-hour production of the massively popular crossover musical Grease, will air LIVE Sunday, Jan. 31 from 7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed.

And finally, Sleepy Hollow, which has its fall finale on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 9:00PM ET/PT, moves to Fridays and returns with all-new episodes on Feb. 5 at 8:00PM ET/PT following the conclusion of Masterchef Junior. After The X-Files concludes its six-episode run, Gotham makes its spring return on Monday, Feb. 29 at 8:00PM ET/PT. Later that week, on Wednesday, March 2 at 8:00PM ET/PT, Morris Chestnut-starrer Rosewood returns. Empire begins Part Two of its second season Wednesday, March 30 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. The return dates for Bones and The Last Man On Earth are to be announced.



Sticking to Fox, they have ordered Son of Zorn, a new live-action/animated hybrid comedy from executive producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Last Man On Earth, The Lego Movie). Upon arriving home on Earth for the first time in 10 years, Zorn (the voice of Jason Sudeikis, The Last Man On Earth, Saturday Night Live), a fully animated, legendary warrior, finds that reconnecting with his live-action son, Alan (Johnny Pemberton, 21 Jump Street), and ex-wife, Edie (Cheryl Hines, Curb Your Enthusiasm), while suffering through a mundane office job and the banality of suburban life, is harder than waging actual war in his distant, mystical homeland of Zephyria. Tim Meadows (Saturday Night Live) also stars. The series is scheduled to debut during the 2016-2017 season.

Fox is making some schedule changes on Thursday and Fridays. The competition heats up when Chef Gordon Ramsay returns with Season 12 of Hell's Kitchen, debuting Thursday, March 13 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, followed by the American Idol XIII results show at 9:00PM ET live/PT tape-delayed, which moves to its new time period. As a result, Rake moves to Fridays, beginning March 14 at 8:00PM ET/PT, followed by all-new episodes of Enlisted and Raising Hope still from 9-10PM ET/PT. With Rake moving to Fridays, Kitchen Nightmares, which was scheduled to premiere in the timeslot, will now premiere later in the season. Back to Thursdays, once the American Idol XIII results shows shift to half-hour episodes on Thursday, March 27 from 9:00-9:30 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed, Surviving Jack, the new comedy starring Emmy Award nominee Chris Meloni (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) as a man becoming a dad, while his son is becoming a man, will air from 9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT.

A That '70s Show mini-reunion is coming soon on Two and a Half Men. Actress Mila Kunis is set to guest star in an upcoming episode of Two and a Half Men opposite her former '70s co-star Ashton Kutcher. Jackie and Kelso together again. The series is broadcast on Thursdays at 9:00PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. She will play Vivian, a young, beautiful, free-spirited world traveler who shows up on Walden's (Kutcher) doorstep. Walden feels an instant connection with her, convinced she's "the one." The problem is, Walden was about to propose to someone else. In real-life, both Kunis and Kutcher recently got engaged.

Kunis is best known for her roles on That '70s Show and the animated series Family Guy. In 2010, Kunis starred in the critically acclaimed Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated feature film Black Swan. Kunis's other film credits include Oz, The Great And Powerful, Ted, Friends With Benefits, Date Night, The Book Of Eli, Extract, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Max Payne. She can next be seen in Jupiter Ascending, opposite Channing Tatum, and Third Person, which will be released in June.

Fox has picked up nine additional episodes of Dads, bringing the series to a 22-episode order. In the next all-new episode, "Foul Play," airing Tuesday, Nov. 5 (8:00PM ET/PT), Eli (Seth Green) and David (Peter Riegert) are forced to sleep at the Ghost Child Games offices when bedbugs overtake the loft. Meanwhile, Camila (Vanessa Lachey) gets the lead in a local theater production, and Crawford (Martin Mull) ends up being uncharacteristically helpful, much to the chagrin of Warner (Giovanni Ribisi). Meanwhile, Fox is announcing premieres dates for new and returning series for winter 2014, including the returns of American Idol and The Following, and the debut of new legal drama Rake. Featuring host Ryan Seacrest, a new judging panel, including Harry Connick, Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson returning as the new in-house mentor, American Idol XIII begins with an exciting two-night, four-hour premiere Wednesday, Jan. 15 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT and Thursday, Jan. 16 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT.

Following the season finale of Sleepy Hollow at a special time on Monday, Jan. 20 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, The Following returns to 9:00 PM ET/PT to begin its 15-week uninterrupted second season. Bold new legal drama Rake debuts with a special two-night event beginning Sunday, Jan. 19 at 10:00PM ET/7:00PM PT, following the NFC Championship Game, and continuing with its time period premiere on Thursday, Jan. 23 at 9:00PM ET/PT. Making his broadcast television series debut, Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Greg Kinnear plays a brilliant and frustratingly charming criminal defense attorney, whose chaotic and self-destructive personal life often gets in the way of his professional one. Glee will return in spring 2014. As previously announced, new Army-set comedy Enlisted debuts Friday, Jan. 10 at 9:30PM ET/PT. Written and created by Kevin Biegel (Cougar Town, Scrubs) and starring Geoff Stults (October Road, The Finder), Chris Lowell (Private Practice, Veronica Mars) and Parker Young (Suburgatory), the series is a single-camera comedy about an older sibling who returns home to reconnect with his two brothers and lead a group of misfits on a small Florida Army post.

This spring, new comedies Surviving Jack and Us & Them will debut on Fox; series premiere dates to be announced. From Emmy Award nominee Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Cougar Town) and set in 1990s Southern California, Surviving Jack stars Emmy Award nominee Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) as a man becoming a dad, as his son (Connor Buckley, Deception) becomes a man, in a time before "coming of age" was something you could Google. Surviving Jack is set to air on Thursdays at 8:30PM ET/PT for eight weeks, following American Idol's live results shows now airing for half-hour at 8:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed. New ensemble comedy Us & Them will also join the schedule in the spring, but no night and time has been announce yet. Starring Emmy Award nominee Jason Ritter (Joan of Arcadia, Parenthood) and Alexis Bledel (Mad Men, Gilmore Girls), and based on an award-winning BBC series, the series follows a young couple, whose path to happily-ever-after is complicated by the screwed-up circus of people closest to them.

Actress Marcia Wallace, best known for her roles as receptionist Carol Kester in The Bob Newhart Show and as the voice of elementary school teacher Edna Krabappel in The Simpsons, has died. She died on October 25 in Los Angeles due to complications from pneumonia. Ms. Wallace was 70.

Wallace played the joke-loving receptionist Carol Kester (later Carol Kester Bondurant) in The Bob Newhart Show. The popular sitcom ran for 142 episodes on CBS from 1972-1978. Her character married travel agent Larry Bondurant (Will Mackenzie) in the fourth season. The series received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1977. In 1991, the cast reunited for the one-hour clip show The Bob Newhart Show 19th Anniversary Special. Wallace reprised her role as Carol Bondurant in a 1994 episode of Murphy Brown. In the episode Anything But Cured, Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) begs her to leave her job as Murphy's secretary and come back with him to Chicago. Wallace received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 1994 for her role as Secretary #66.

Wallace's early sitcom credits included Bewitched, The Brady Bunch (2 episodes: Will the Real Jan Brady Please Stand Up? and Getting Davy Jones) and Love, American Style. She was a semi-regular on The Merv Griffin Show, with over 75 appearances, before she landed her role on The Bob Newhart Show. Her many other sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Flying High, Taxi, Gimme a Break!, ALF, Night Court, Small Wonder, Charles in Charge, A Different World and Full House. She was a series regular as Maggie Hawley on the Comedy Central sitcom That's My Bush in 2001. In 2009, she played Annie Wilkes in the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. She was also a regular game show panelist for more than thirty years. Her many appearances included The Hollywood Squares, Password Plus, Super Password, Card Sharks, Hot Potato, Body Language, The $25,000 Pyrmaid, Double Talk, Win, Lose or Draw, and Match Game.

Her other main role was the voice of Bart's elementary school teacher in The Simpsons. Edna Krabappel was married to Ned Flanders. Wallace voiced the character in over 100 episodes. In 1992, she won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for the episode Bart the Lover. The show has announced that her character will be retired. Wallace's other voice credits included Darkwing Duck, Batman, The Addams Family, The Angry Beavers and Monsters University.

Survivors include her son Michael Hawley, sister Sherry and brother Jimmy. She was a very talented and funny woman. She was also an inspiration to many as a long-time breast cancer survivor. We thank her for bringing us many laughs over the years. Ms. Wallace will be deeply missed.

We will keep you posted on any tributes planned for her. Share your memories on our Bob Newhart Show message board. View photos in our photo galleries.

Fox is about pull Ben & Kate from the Tuesday night schedule effective immediately. They have announced revisions to its Tuesday night lineup, which will include the season premiere of Hell's Kitchen on Tuesday, March 12 at 8:00PM ET/PT. But before we get to that, on Tuesdays, Jan. 29, Feb. 5 and Feb. 26 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT, Fox will air all-new one-hour episodes of Raising Hope, so they'll double up on the comedy in lieu of the cancelation of Ben & Kate. Feb. 12 will have encores at 8 because of the State of the Union at 9pm ET, Feb. 19 will have an encore of New Girl at 8:30 following a new Raising Hope at 8 and on March 5 from 8-10pm, Fox will air American Idol on a special night. The Tuesday 9pm hour of New Girl and The Mindy Project will remain in their regularly scheduled time periods.

Then as mentioned, Tuesday nights heat up earlier than expected this spring when Chef Gordon Ramsay returns for the Season 11 premiere of Hell's Kitchen on Tuesday, March 12 at 8:00PM ET/PT, and it will be continued to be followed by all-new episodes of New Girl and The Mindy Project. Back to Raising Hope, it will have a one-hour season finale on a special night Thursday, March 28 from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT, following American Idol at 8. Yes, that's a full month after its last Tuesday airing on Feb. 26. Fox also says Ben & Kate will return with all-new episodes at a later date. The series will have six episodes left from its 19-episode order, but the creator and stars have said on Twitter that the series has been officially canceled. So if and when the series does return to the schedule, it will just be to burn-off the six remaining episodes. We were surprised the series was quickly picked-up for a full season very on in the season despite low ratings but the ratings didn't improve and got worse, so Fox was forced to pull the series now. Stay with us for continued updates.

The MeTV Network, the definitive classic television network, is heading to the nation's capital on WJLA (ABC7) in Washington D.C. This is the newest affiliate to join The MeTV Network, that now has clearance in each of the top ten television markets in the country, with the addition of the nation's eighth largest market of Washington D.C. The station will launch MeTV on March 1, 2013 and will be seen over-the-air on WJLA's digital subchannel on channel 7.2, replacing WeatherNow. WJLA is owned by Allbritton Communications Company and is the second station from this media group to become a MeTV affiliate. The MeTV Network now serves 141 affiliates and clears 87% of the country. In addition to being available in all top ten television markets, the network can be found in 28 of the top 30 markets in the U.S.

MeTV features a wide range of programming which audiences and advertisers find comfortable and engaging. MeTV's library includes almost 100 series from Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, CBS Television Distribution, NBCUniversal Television as well as many independent series owners and producers. MeTV's line-up as you know, includes some of the most beloved television programs ever produced, including: M*A*S*H, The Brady Bunch, The Beverly Hillbillies, Perry Mason, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, and the classic Hawaii Five-O series.

Fox has announced its winter line-up for midseason 2013 with series premiere dates for new and returning series, including the returns of American Idol and Touch, and the debut of new thriller The Following. Featuring host Ryan Seacrest and new judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, along with returning judge Randy Jackson, the 12th season of American Idol begins with the exciting two-night premiere Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT and Thursday, Jan. 17 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT. The reality show will try to help promote their new midseason drama, The Following, a psychological thriller created by Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries, Dawson's Creek, Scream franchise) and starring Golden Globe Award-winning actor Kevin Bacon (Frost/Nixon) and James Purefoy (Rome). The new launches Monday, Jan. 21 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. The intense, spellbinding drama follows Ryan Hardy (Bacon), an ex-FBI agent called out of retirement to track down Joe Carroll (Purefoy), a devious and diabolical serial killer, and the mastermind behind an ever-growing web of killers.

Season Two of Touch, starring Emmy Award winner Kiefer Sutherland (24), kicks into gear on a new night starting Friday, Feb. 1 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. As the action shifts dramatically from New York to Los Angeles, single father Martin Bohm (Sutherland) and his gifted son, Jake (David Mazouz), find themselves at the center of a global conspiracy involving a mother in search of her missing teenage daughter, a mathematical genius and a religious zealot assassinating others with abilities like Jake's. Joining the cast this season are Maria Bello (ER), Lukas Haas (24), Said Taghmaoui (G.I. Joe: The Rise of The Cobra) and newcomer Saxon Sharbino. And finally, the premiere date for new midseason comedy The Goodwin Games will be announced at a later date, so stay tuned.

Last week we mentioned that NBC is coming out with a digital subchannel on their ten owned stations that will have some classic TV...now we have the official announcement. NBC Owned Television Stations announced the introduction of COZI TV, a new 24x7 national network designed to deliver an easy-to-watch, comfortable and familiar viewing experience to audiences nationwide. COZI TV will combine many of America's most beloved and iconic television series, hit movies and original programming with a warm and welcoming vibe that engages viewers. It will launch early next year on the digital channels of the 10 NBC-owned stations, which serve the nation's biggest markets, and is available to local stations across the country.

COZI TV will be programmed around the clock, while offering local stations conveniently scheduled daily blocks of time that can be preempted for programming of interest to viewers, such as local news, sports and special events. This sought after format – designed by local broadcasters – will enable stations to air companion local programing to their primary channel. Drawing from the vast NBCUniversal library of movies and TV shows as well as from other top studios, including Sony Pictures, COZI TV will bring viewers access to some of America's favorite entertainment. Well-known shows like Magnum, P.I., The Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels, Highway to Heaven, Lone Ranger and The Six Million Dollar Man will be featured on the network. COZI TV will also air a wide range of movies, showcasing iconic actors spanning generations, including legends Rock Hudson and Doris Day and modern day actors George Clooney and Drew Barrymore.

Additionally, COZI TV will be home to exclusive original programming that is currently under development by various partners. The network will also feature fresh, fun content that will air as interstitial programming to create an environment where people feel connected and comfortable. At the same time, it will incorporate innovative online and social media initiatives to engage the audience and enhance the viewing experience.
The official launch schedule is still not ready, so as soon as we can share that with you, we will. So stay with us!