Saturday, April 20, 2024
SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Cancels Two Series and Picks Up New Soap Opera; Potential New Buyer Interested in Paramount
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We have more cancellations and renewals this week, we're hearing about another new potential buyer for Paramount, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- We're into renewal and cancellation season, and we've got two cancellations from CBS: So Help Me Todd and CSI: Vegas. (Variety)
- After last week's announcement that The Talk was cancelled, it is probably no surprise that CBS has officially ordered the new soap opera that was rumored to take its place, The Gates. (Variety)
- It seems that everybody is interested in Paramount, but nobody has quite closed in on the deal, and now Sony is in talks to be in a partnership to own the studio. (Reuters)
- A limited series about Al Sharpton, with Anthony Anderson playing the role of Sharpton, is in the works at ABC. (Deadline)
- It's old news by now, but here is a reminder that The Bachelor is just TV and not real life: The Golden Bachelor is about to be a bachelor again. (Hollywood Reporter)
- Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, with host Travis Kelce, has been ordered by Prime Video. (SitcomsOnline)
WEEKLY PLANNER (APRIL 20 - APRIL 27)
- Catchy Comedy is animated this weekend with a binge of Looney Tunes.
- The season finale of Not Dead Yet airs Wednesday on ABC.
- We keep forgetting to mention it (maybe because it's been very poorly received), but the animated Good Times reboot is now streaming on Netflix.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
31st SAG Awards Airs on Netflix Next February; Prime Video Orders Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Spinoff with Host Travis Kelce

The SAG Awards® announced that the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® will take place on Sunday, February 23, 2025. The two-hour ceremony will stream live on Netflix at 8 p.m. (ET) / 5 p.m. (PT). Key deadlines and dates have also been released for the celebration of excellence in film and television. Submissions for nomination consideration will open Monday, August 29, 2024 and will close Friday, November 1, 2024. With the actor’s permission, producers, studios/networks, agents, managers, or publicists may submit a performance for consideration in a category of the actor’s choosing. Actors may also submit their own performances. Eligible performances must air or premiere between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. All submissions must be submitted online at sagwards.org/submissions. Nominations for the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be announced on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

Prime Video announced it has ordered Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, with Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce set as host. The 20-episode order is a spinoff of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? and is being produced by MGM Alternative, a division of Amazon MGM Studios. The series will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? offers a fun, new twist on the premise of the original popular format. Each game will welcome an adult contestant who will rely on a classroom full of celebrities from stage, screen, and sports to help them answer 11 questions on a range of subjects, pulled from elementary curriculum, in an effort to win a $100,000 prize. They are not competing against the stars... they're enlisting their help and, in some cases, can even "cheat" off of them. And on the final question, worth $100,000, the contestant selects one celebrity to discuss the answer with before locking in. The final question is always at the 6th-grade level.
Saturday, March 23, 2024
SitcomsOnline Digest: Netflix Sets Premiere Date for Good Times Animated Reboot; NBC Renews Several Popular Series
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's not a busy news week, but we do have news about the animated Good Times reboot, some NBC renewals, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- An April premiere date has been set for Netflix's animated reboot of Good Times. (VIBE)
- NBC gave renewals to almost all of their Chicago and Law & Order franchise series, but there is one notable exception. (TV Insider)
- Mike Richards, who hosted Jeopardy! for an entire day, is now speaking out about his experience. (Deadline)
- Travis Kelce may be hosting a reboot of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, though the premise would be slightly different this time around. (Variety)
- Community is headed to Peacock on April 1, and so is a movie (eventually). (SitcomsOnline)
WEEKLY PLANNER (MARCH 23 - MARCH 29)
- Even though it isn't part of the regular lineup, Catchy Comedy has an ALF binge this weekend.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Nightline Primetime Special Profiles All in the Family & The Jeffersons; Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Premieres June 10 on Nick

After the star-studded live sitcom special Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons, ABC News' Nightline will take a special look at the cultural and historical significance of the two iconic series. Participants in the live sitcom special along with modern-day comedians, television stars and journalists reminisce about each show's groundbreaking impact and legacy. Nightline Presents All About All in the Family and The Jeffersons airs Wednesday, May 22 at 9:30 pm EDT for a half-hour on The ABC Television Network. The prime-time special features interviews with All in the Family and The Jeffersons creator Norman Lear; host and executive producer Jimmy Kimmel and Live in Front of a Studio Audience stars Anthony Anderson, Ike Barinholtz, Jackée Harry, Ellie Kemper and Kerry Washington; comedians and actors Raven-Symoné, David Alan Grier, Lil' Rel and John Amos; original The Jeffersons cast member Marla Gibbs (Florence Johnston); and journalists Deborah Roberts, Chris Connelly, Marc Lamont Hill and Joe Levy.
And don't forget to watch Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons on Wednesday from 8:00pm-9:30pm on ABC. The special stars Woody Harrelson (Archie Bunker), Marisa Tomei (Edith Bunker), Jamie Foxx (George Jefferson), Wanda Sykes (Louise Jefferson), Ellie Kemper (Gloria Stivic), Will Ferrell (Tom Willis), Kerry Washington (Helen Willis), Justina Machado (Florence Johnston), Ike Barinholtz (Mike Meathead Stivic), Sean Hayes (Mr. Lorenzo), Amber Stevens West (Jenny Willis Jefferson), Jovan Adepo (Lionel Jefferson), Anthony Anderson (Uncle Henry), Stephen Tobolowsky (Mr. Bentley) and Jackée Harry (Diane Stockwell). The live episode is directed by 10-time Emmy award-winning sitcom director James Burrows (Cheers, Taxi).

Nickelodeon is set to launch the reimagined iconic family game show, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, with a week of premieres beginning Monday, June 10, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Hosted by John Cena, who also serves as executive producer, the new series follows the original premise of kids helping adult contestants put their knowledge to the test with questions taken directly from an elementary school curriculum. New episodes will continue to air Monday, June 17, through Wednesday, June 19, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT), before moving to its regular Monday timeslot on June 24 at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT).
In an all-new format that places kids in the center of the action, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader contestants must revisit the classroom to answer six questions on a variety of subjects from the first through fourth grade, before moving on to the final round where they must race against the clock to answer five questions taken from the fifth grade. Each time the contestants answer questions correctly, their bank increases with a possible winning of $100,000. Newly-added elements to the show include an additional "cheat" option and new ways contestants can enlist the help of their grade-school classmates.
Monday, February 18, 2019
Netflix Orders Holiday-Themed Comedy Series Starring Dennis Quaid; Nickelodeon Bringing Back Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader

Netflix has ordered holiday-themed comedy series Merry Happy Whatever starring Dennis Quaid for an 8 episode run. In Merry Happy Whatever, Dennis Quaid plays Don Quinn, a strong-willed patriarch who must balance the demands of his complicated family with the stress of the Christmas season when his youngest daughter comes home for the holidays with a new boyfriend. The first season of the show takes place over the week or so around Christmas. Future seasons of Merry Happy Whatever might explore other holidays. Dennis Quaid will star as Don and serve as an executive producer.

Nickelodeon is bringing back the iconic family game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader with all-new episodes hosted by John Cena, who will also serve as an executive producer. Mark Burnett, Chairman of Worldwide Television, MGM (Survivor, The Voice) and Barry Poznick, President, Unscripted Television, MGM (Beat Shazam, The World's Best) will return as executive producers of the reboot, which places kids squarely in the center of the action. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader begins production in Los Angeles this spring and is slated to premiere later this year on Nickelodeon.
Nickelodeon's new Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader follows the original premise of adult contestants putting their knowledge to the test by answering questions taken directly from elementary school curriculum. New game elements will be added to the show, including an additional "cheat" option, new ways contestants can enlist the help of their grade-school classmates, as well as a "final exam," where contestants must answer a question from each grade in a race against the clock.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, August 28
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 24)
Friday, August 28
- Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) - Watch Glen on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Donnell Rawlings (Twenties) - Donnell is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 11:35pm on CBS.
- LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta) - LaKeith appears on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Laura Dern (F Is for Family/Enlightened) - Drew chats with the legendary Laura Dern on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
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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