SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

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

Last week, we received the tragic news that Jessica Walter has passed away. Walter was an incredible actress with a long and excellent career in both film and TV. However, to sitcoms fans, she was likely known for two iconic roles: Lucille Bluth in the critically acclaimed and fan beloved comedy Arrested Development, and Mallory Archer in the raunchy, long-running animated hit Archer. Walter worked in both roles even in very recent times (Arrested's final season aired in 2018, and Archer is still running) and her death came as a shock, as even in her later work she still did an excellent job at portraying the characters.

Walter's comic talents might not have been immediately evident to those who knew her from her Play Misty for Me days, but the way she could deliver stone-cold classic lines on both Arrested and Archer was unparalleled. So many Lucille Bluth lines became internet memes for a reason - her blunt, in-your-face delivery made for so many classic moments, and she made the hilariously hatable character of Lucille Bluth an instant classic character, and a big part of Arrested's excellent success. She brought the same energy to her Archer character and once again contributed to that show's continued triumphs. I've been rewatching Arrested Development this week and I'm still in awe of just how great of a comic actress she was. Rest in peace, Jessica Walter - your excellent work will live in for many, many years.

Executive-produced by Robert Smigel (Triumph The Insult Comic Dog), Fox's satirical-puppet series, Let's Be Real, returns with four all-new episodes, and all-new puppets, beginning Thursday, April 29 from 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox. Following last fall's comedy special, Let's Be Real returns to Fox this spring with all-new episodes beginning Thursday, April 29 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT). Executive-produced and written by Robert Smigel (Triumph The Insult Comic Dog), the new series will debut new puppets from the worlds of entertainment and politics, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator Ted Cruz, Kim Kardashian and LeBron James. Previously featured puppets, such as President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald J. Trump, Former Vice President Mike Pence and Kanye West, also will appear, as the satirical comedy series will cover politics and pop culture in 2021 through topical sketches, celebrity cameos and remote pieces.

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

Last night, NBC's Superstore came to an end. The show has been one of the best network sitcoms of the past decade, and in my mind, one of the most underrated sitcoms of all-time. It's a hilarious show with an excellent ensemble that tackled working class issues that no other show has even come close to tackling, and it deserves to be mentioned in the same conversation as The Office, Community, 30 Rock, The Good Place or any of the other beloved NBC comedies of modern times. The show is also going out with a great season - even though losing America Ferrera and dealing with the issues of the COVID-19 pandemic don't sound like they would make a great Superstore season, they really have. The way Superstore depicts its employees' dealing with the pandemic has made for some great dark and true-to-life humor, and continued its amazing turn of taking serious issues and making funny, thoughtful TV.

At the time I'm writing this, I haven't watched the show's series finale yet. But in some ways, I'm dreading the show's end, just because Superstore has been such a consistent delight these past six years, and I'm not ready for the show to end just yet. With Superstore leaving, it'll leave a huge hole in the network TV landscape, and I truly hope that the show has a revival on streaming the way The Office and Parks and Recreation did - as many people as possible deserve to watch this truly incredible series. So farewell, Superstore, and thanks for all of the laughs and real moments you've given us.

Emmy-winning actress Jessica Walter, who starred as Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development, has died. She died in her sleep at her home in Manhattan, New York, on March 24. Ms. Walter was 80.

Walter's early television guest appearances included Flipper, The Fugitive, The F.B.I., Name of the Game, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, Alias Smith and Jones, Mannix, Banacek, Barnaby Jones, The Magician, Columbo, Hawaii Five-0 and Ironside. She won an Emmy Award in 1975 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her work in the NBC police drama Amy Prentiss. Amy Prentiss was a relatively young investigator who becomes the first female Chief of Detectives for the San Francisco Police Department following the previous chief's death. The series was a spin-off of Ironside.

She had a recurring role as Claudia Bradford in eight episodes the 1984-1985 ABC sitcom Three's a Crowd. Claudia Bradford was Vicky Bradford's (Mary Cadorette) mother and James Bradford's (Robert Mandan) ex-wife. The Three's Company spin-off also starred John Ritter and Alan Campbell.

Walter provided the voice of Fran Sinclair on the 1991-1994 ABC sitcom Dinosaurs. Fran Sinclair was a ten-ton allosaurus who was the mother and homemaker of the Sinclair family. The cast providing voices included Stuart Pankin, Jason Willinger, Sally Struthers, Kevin Clash, Florence Stanley, Sam McMurray and Sherman Hemsley.

Walter starred as Celia Calloway on the 1998-2000 Lifetime sitcom Oh Baby. Celia was the bossy mother of Tracy Calloway (Cynthia Stevenson). The series also starred Joanna Gleason, Matt Champagne, Dina Spybey, Doug Ballard, Jack Coleman, Patrick Kerr and Don McMarcus.

She starred as the scheming alcoholic socialite matriarch Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development. Lucille is the wife of George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) and the mother of Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman). Walter received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series for the role in 2005. The series aired on Fox for three seasons from 2003 to 2005 before being revived by Netflix for seasons four (2013) and five (2018-2019). It also stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross and Ron Howard (narrator).

Walter starred as Elaine Robbins on the 2011-2012 TV Land sitcom Retired at 35. It ran for two seasons and 20 episodes. The series follows a successful New Yorker named David (Johnathan McClain), who decides to leave the rat race and his job in the big city and visit his father (George Segal) and mother (Jessica Walter) who live in a retirement community in Florida. The series also starred Josh McDermitt, Ryan Michelle Bathe (Season 1) and Marissa Jaret Winokur (Season 2).

She starred as Maggie Doyle on the 2014 TV Land sitcom Jennifer Falls. The series follows Jennifer Doyle (Jaime Pressly), a single mother who, after losing her high salary job, has to move back in with her mother, Maggie. It also starred Missi Pyle, Ethlan Suplee, Nora Kirkpatrick and Dylan Gelula.

Walter provided the voice of Malory Hunter on the FX/FXX animated series Archer for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020. Malory Hunter is the mother Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin). The show has been renewed for season 12. Others providing voices include Judy Greer, Amber Nash, Chris Parnell, Adam Reed, Aisha Tyler and Lucky Yates.

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style, Aloha Paradise, Joanie Loves Chachi, The Love Boat, Coach (5 episodes as Susan Miller), You Wish, Just Shoot Me! (as Eve Gallo, the mother of Maya (Laura San Giacomo) and the ex-wife of magazine publisher Jack Gallo (George Segal)), Rules of Engagement, Happy Hour, The Big Bang Theory, The Odd Couple (2016), Difficult People and American Housewife.

She had a supporting role as Phyllis Koster, the wife of David Koster (William Shatner), on the short-lived 1965 CBS police drama For the People. She had a recurring role as Melanie McIntyre, Trapper John's (Pernell Roberts) former wife on the CBS medical drama Trapper John, M.D. from 1979 to 1985. In 1982, she appeared as Anne McPherson on the NBC drama The Round Table. She played Ava Marshall on the short-lived 1983 NBC primetime soap opera Bare Essence. She starred as Connie Lo Verde on the 1988 NBC drama Aaron's Way. She was a regular as Tabitha Wilson on the first half of the first season of 90210 from 2008 to 2009.

Some of her other drama television guest appearances in the 1970s and 1980s included McCloud, The Streets of San Francisco, McMillan and Wife, Wonder Woman, Quincy, M.E., Knots Landing, Matt Houston, Hotel, Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote. Her later guest appearances included Babylon 5, Law & Order, One Life to Live (6 episodes), Jack & Jill, Touched by an Angel, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Saving Grace, Gravity, NCIS and Good Girls.

Her film credits included Play Misty for Me (1971), Grand Prix (1966), The Group (1966), Going Ape! (1981), Spring Fever (1983), The Flamingo Kid (1984) and PCU (1994).

Ms. Walter was a brilliant actress. She was so funny and memorable as Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development. She made everything she appeared in much better. We thank her for the many laughs and entertainment she brought us during her long career. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Arrested Development messsage board. View photos in our galleries.

Character actor Richard Gilliland, who appeared as J.D. Shackelford on Designing Women, has died. He died on March 18 following a short illness in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Gilliland was 71.

Gilliland starred as Lt. Nick Holden in the first season (1977-1978) of the ABC sitcom Operation Petticoat. Lt. Nick Holden was a wheeler-dealer supply officer. The first season also starred John Astin, Melinda Naud, Yvonne Wilder, Dorrie Thomson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bond Gideon, Richard Brestoff and Jim Varney.

He starred as Tom Stafford on the short-lived 1989 CBS sitcom Heartland. The series was about an old-fashioned farmer named B. L. McCutcheon (Brian Keith) moves in with his daughter (Katie Layman), son-in-law (Richard Gilliland) and their family. The series also starred Jason Kristofer, Devin Ratray and Daisy Keith.

Gilliand starred as Keith Barrow on the short-lived 1983 ABC sitcom Just Our Luck. Keith Barrow was a mild-mannered TV weatherman for KPOX-TV who frees a hip, fun-loving 3,000-year-old genie named Shabu (T.K. Carter) after being imprisoned in his bottle for nearly two centuries. The series also starred Ellen Maxted, Rod McCary, Richard Schaal, Hamilton Camp and Leonard Simon.

He had a recurring role as J.D. Shackelford on 14 episodes of the CBS sitcom Designing Women from 1986 to 1991. J.D. Shackelford was Mary Jo Shively's (Annie Potts) boyfriend who worked as a talent scout for the Atlanta Braves. Gilliland married Jean Smart (Charlene Frazier-Stillfield) in 1987. The series also starred Dixie Carter, Delta Burke (1986-1991), Meschach Taylor, Julia Duffy (Season 6), Jan Hooks (Seasons 6-7) and Judith Ivey (Season 7).

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Mary, Night Court, Valerie, Davis Rules and Becker.

He had a recurring role as Jeffrey Milgrom in seven episodes of thirtysomething from 1989 to 1990. Some of his television drama guest appearances from the 1970 and 1980s included The Streets of San Francisco, Medical Center, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Blue Knight, McMillan and Wife (as Sgt. Steve DiMaggio), Trapper John, M.D., The Waltons, Fantasy Island, Hotel, St. Elsewhere, Hunter, Hearbeat and Jake and the Fatman.

Some of his later guest appearances included Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, Winnetka Road, Touched by an Angel, Dark Skies, Early Edition, The Practice, Party of Five, Judging Amy, Joan of Arcadia, Crossing Jordan, 24, Dexter, Desperate Housewives, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds and Imposters.

Mr. Gilliland was a talented and versatile character actor. He was a familiar face on many sitcoms and other television series over the years. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Designing Women message board. View photos in our galleries.

NBC has shifted the launch of its new midseason drama Council of Dads. The series will premiere Tuesday, March 24 at 10 p.m. ET/PT immediately following the season finale of This Is Us. The show will then now return in its new timeslot beginning Thursday, April 30 at 8 p.m. through July 9. The network's hit drama New Amsterdam will air March 10 and 17 in its normal 10 p.m. timeslot, which was originally planned as Council of Dad airings. Council of Dad stars Sarah Wayne Callies, Clive Standen, Tom Everett Scott, J. August Richards, Blue Chapman, Emjay Anthony, Michele Weaver, Thalia Tran, Steven Silver and Michael O'Neill.

In the series, family takes on a different meaning in "Council of Dads" when Scott Perry, a loving father of five, has his entire life's plan thrown into upheaval by an unexpected health scare. He calls on a few of his most trusted friends to step in as back-up dads to help guide and support his growing family - just in case he ever can't be there to do it himself. There's Anthony, Scott's oldest and most loyal friend; Larry, his tough-love AA sponsee; and Oliver, his dedicated doctor and wife's dearest friend. Together, they discover that there's more to being a father than anyone could do alone - and more to being a family than they ever thought possible.

Two-time Emmy Award winner Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development, and creator of Archibald's Next Big Thing) has been cast to play the dual role of Mr. Benedict and his twin brother Mr. Curtain in The Mysterious Benedict Society. Hale recently wrapped Wakey, Wakey the one-man play at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and is also featured in Toy Story 4 as the voice of "Forky."

Mr. Benedict, a rumpled, affable eccentric genius, he is the head of the Mysterious Benedict Society - a group of orphans he has recruited to save the world. While Mr. Benedict is reluctant to put the children in harm's way, he feels there is no other choice. His Society is mysterious and so is Mr. Benedict himself; he is the genial, cunning mastermind. Mr. Curtain is Mr. Benedict's frustratingly sharp, well put-together (if villainous) twin brother.

Based on the best-selling novel, The Mysterious Benedict Society is the tale of four gifted orphans who are recruited by an eccentric benefactor to go on a secret mission. Placed undercover at a boarding school known as The Institute, they must foil a nefarious plot with global ramifications, while creating a new sort of family along the way.

You can't handle the Bluth. Netflix has announced that Part 2 of Season 5 of Arrested Development will launch on Friday, March 15. Eight episodes from the second half of the season will be available for streaming. In these upcoming episodes, pressures mount on the Bluth family as Buster heads toward a murder trial. The Bluth company is on the hook to build a ’smart’ border wall that puts them in debt and risks exposing a software hoax perpetrated by George-Michael. Soon the gay mafia is involved and it appears that even Michael can’t save the family this time. And Tobias becomes a Golden Girl.

The first half of Season 5 premiered on May 29, 2018. The series stars Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Portia de Rossi, David Cross and Alia Shawkat.

Netflix's most delicious original comedy, Santa Clarita Diet, returns Friday, March 29 with its third season. Watch as The Hammonds battle with the prospect of "forever" in our date announcement here. In Santa Clarita Diet, Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and Sheila (Drew Barrymore) are husband and wife realtors leading vaguely discontented lives in the L.A. suburb of Santa Clarita with their teenaged daughter Abby (Liv Hewson), until Sheila goes through a dramatic change sending their lives down a road of death and destruction...but in a good way.

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

Last week, Arrested Development dropped the first half of its fifth season on Netflix (the second half will be released at an unspecified later date, an interesting strategy that Netflix is also using for the fourth season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). It's been five years since the fourth season dropped on the streaming service in May 2013 - and, of course, when the fourth season was released it had been seven years since the abrupt conclusion of the series' original run on Fox. The revival of Arrested Development was one of the first Netflix original series and arguably the major flagship of Netflix's foraging into original content (along with House of Cards). In many ways, it's a great representation of this new era of peak TV. The cancellation of the original run of Arrested Development had long been one of the biggest examples of a network failing a widely beloved series, and Netflix swooping in like a savior to bring the show back after nearly a decade off the air seemed to signal a new era of TV, where a fan-beloved but slightly off-kilter sitcom could succeed and even thrive without the constraints of network television. And yet, through-out both the fourth and fifth seasons of Arrested Development, two thoughts often popped into my mind: 1) It's super cool that they were able to bring this show back, and 2) This show probably should've stayed dead.

To be fair, the fifth season of Arrested Development is not bad. It's an improvement upon the messy fourth season, which had some great moments but never quite lived up to the sum of its parts. The jokes are tighter and funnier, and the chemistry of the entire cast bouncing off of each other allows it to have more of that classic Arrested Development vibe that Season 4 was missing (the fourth season focused on each characters' separate journeys and rarely saw them in the same place at the same time, largely due to difficulties syncing the cast's schedules.) But while the show gets the rhythm and the pacing of Arrested Development right, it all just feels a little tired. The spark of the original run is only there in spurts - in many ways, it feels like the later seasons of many long-running sitcoms, where everyone is sort of on autopilot, getting through the motions of the show without ever truly aspiring for something more. That's not true of everyone - Alia Shawkat truly gives it her all in what may very well be Maebey's best season, Will Arnett does a great job handling some surprisingly emotional GOB material, and Jessica Walter's Lucille is as perfect as she's ever been - but for the most part, the fifth season of Arrested Development never makes a great case for why it needs to exist. That could change when the second half of the episodes drop, as a lot of these episodes felt like they were cleaning up the messes that the fourth season left. But as of now, it's hard to get too excited about the prospect of more Arrested Development, which is something I never thought I'd say before the Netflix revival seasons.

FX has ordered a third season of the critically-acclaimed and award-winning comedy series Atlanta. The premiere of Atlanta Robbin' Season, the latest chapter in the Emmy(R) Award-winning comedy series, nabbed the best ratings of any recent basic cable comedy. The first season of Atlanta won two Emmy(R) Awards as well as two Golden Globe(R) Awards and AFI, Peabody, PGA, WGA, TCA, NAACP and Critics' Choice Awards. In the recently concluded Atlanta Robbin' Season, two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene in order to better their lives and the lives of their families. "Earn Marks" (Donald Glover) is a young manager trying to get his cousin's career off the ground. "Alfred Miles" (Brian Tyree Henry) is a new hot rapper trying to understand the line between real life and street life. "Darius" (Lakeith Lee Stanfield) is Alfred's right-hand man and visionary. "Van" (Zazie Beetz) is Earn's best friend and the mother of Earn's daughter.

Effective next Monday (May 14), Antenna TV will shuffle their schedule around, with many timeslot changes. Primetime will now feature back-to-back episodes of Alice, Barney Miller and Coach every weeknight from 8-11pm, with Murphy Brown leading out at 11pm and Three's Company leading in at 7:30pm. Some of the new additions like Growing Pains, The Hogan Family, Head of the Class and Silver Spoons will move into weeknight late night beginning at 1:30am instead of late afternoons/early evening. Soap and Benson move from primetime to afternoons starting at 3:30pm. There are other changes to weekdays, mainly in the mornings and afternoons, with double shot episodes from 9am-3pm of sitcoms from the '50s and '60s. What's Happening!!, Gimme a Break!, Webster and 227 round out the changes to weekdays starting at 4:30pm. Weekends will see minor changes, with Small Wonder leaving the line-up and the additions of Silver Spoons, Family Ties, Growing Pains, The Hogan Family and Dear John in afternoons. View the full line-up.

Netflix announces Arrested Development Season 5 will launch May 29. In the aftermath of Cinco de Quatro, the Bluth family are all facing one question, that no one quite has the answer to; where is Lucille Two? As this Netflix (semi) original series returns on May 29, 2018, the Bluths are back together, and finally getting the award they think they deserve - for family of the year. A development which will help Lindsay as she begins her campaign for Congress, to become 'part of the problem'. But whatever happens, Michael will always come back to save the family. Probably. Visit VoteBluth.com for updates from the Bluth for Family of the Year campaign. The entire cast returns for the 5th season: David Cross as Tobias, Jason Bateman as Michael, Jeffrey Tambor as George Sr., Jessica Walter as Lucille, Michael Cera as George-Michael, Portia de Rossi as Lindsay, Tony Hale as Buster and Will Arnett as Gob.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing about the end of a popular Netflix series, more about the reboot of Last Man Standing, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! The TCA Winter Press Tour (which brought us the news of The Golden Girls coming to Hulu last week) continues this week, and will even go into next week, so we've got plenty of highlights to bring you from that. Plus, it seems that reboots are making all of the news again, and Arrested Development looks like it may be coming back to Netflix for another season. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Who to Follow: Eric McCormack (Twitter), "You liked Will & Grace? Miss Perception? Well, Happy New Year: TRAVELERS is streaming right now @netflix!"

Claim to Fame: Eric McCormack was born in Canada, and started out his career in theater. He eventually made it onto TV in small roles in a few Canadian series, as well as some roles in some of Stephen J. Cannell's various series in the early 90s. His first big break came in Lonesome Dove: The Series, but the real one that he is probably best known for was his role of Will on the popular sitcom Will & Grace. His latest role is in the Canadian science fiction series Travelers, which has made it to the United States in recent weeks thanks to international distribution on Netflix.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we have news of new seasons of Community and Arrested Development, new stage productions for Cheers and The Brady Bunch, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• With the recent arrival of The Nanny on DVD as a complete series, fans who just want to collect the individual seasons are left wondering if more seasons will be coming. And they will, as this week, Shout! announced that The Nanny - Season Four will arrive on DVD on September 22.

Who to Follow: Marla Gibbs (Twitter, Facebook), "Actress, Comedian, Community Supporter 7 NAACP Image Awards 11 seasons The Jeffersons, 5 seasons 227, 4 seasons The Hughleys, 1 seasons Passions"

Claim to Fame: Marla Gibbs got her start in the "blaxploitation" movies in the early 1970s, but it wasn't long before she picked up a small role on The Jeffersons as housekeeper Florence Johnston. It wasn't exactly intended to be a major role, but as the series progressed, she quickly became a star of the series and there were many episodes that were almost exclusively about her character. The character became so big that they eventually created a spinoff, Checking In, but it was quickly canceled and she was allowed to return back to The Jeffersons. She didn't have to wait long after The Jeffersons was canceled for her next role, as Mary Jenkins on the NBC sitcom 227, for which she also served co-producer. After two solid series, she has somewhat stepped back from regular roles since then, although she has had recurring roles in The Hughleys and The First Family. Following some health issues a few years ago, she took a few years off from acting, but now she is now regularly popping up in guest roles once again on series such as Scandal (which also happens to be a show that she really enjoys watching) and Hot in Cleveland. And the acting tradition in the family continues with her daughter Angela Gibbs, who currently has a role on the Adult Swim series Black Jesus.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we have news of new episodes of Arrested Development on Netflix, a story about a potential LEGO set that sitcom fans would love to see produced (and potentially could be), and a development on how the era of The Simpsons on home media could be finished. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Simpsons executive producer Al Jean had a piece of news that is certain to outrage some fans of The Simpsons and TV on DVD in general, as it was reported this week that Fox has decided to end their releases the series on DVD and Blu-ray. It is worth noting that the release of the first season of this series in 2001 was a major moment in TV on DVD history, as it marked the first time that a broadcast network comedy had been released in a season form (although HBO had a few releases that predated that one). The studio has not confirmed the ending of the DVDs.
• The Crazy Ones didn't last long on CBS, but Fox has released every episode of it as a MOD release this week, in The Crazy Ones - The Complete First Season.
• Fox is releasing American Dad - Volume 10 on May 19, also as a MOD release.

Who to Follow: Eden Sher (Twitter)

Claim to Fame: Eden Sher got her start by appearing on commercials and a short film, but her first recurring TV role came in the second season of the Showtime series Weeds, where she played the role of Gretchen, Shane's girlfriend. Following that role, she had a recurring role on the mostly forgotten ABC comedy series Sons & Daughters. She had a few other guest roles along the way, but now, she is mostly known for her portrayal of Sue Heck on the ABC series The Middle.

FXX of course has added The Simpsons to its line-up after the historic 12-day day marathon, but they have more to come this Fall! The Simpsons is airing in a block format, Mondays 6pm-12am, Tuesdays 8pm-12am, Thursdays 8pm-12am, Fridays 6pm-12am and Sundays 4-8pm. We mentioned that Raising Hope would join the schedule this fall, but we now know the launch date and times. The comedy will premiere on Monday, Sept. 22. It will essentially replace Arrested Development on the schedule, as that series is no where to be found out after Sept. 22. Also leaving the schedule as of October 1 will be The Hughleys, replaced by the return of Sports Night. As for Raising Hope, it will air Mondays 2pm-6pm, Tues-Thurs around 11:30am-1pm, Fridays 2-6pm and Saturdays around 8:30am-10:30am. Check listings for exact timings on a given week. In addition to Sports Night, FXX will continue to air Mad About You and Parks & Recreation in the daytime. And finally, also joining the schedule this fall starting October 1 will be In Living Color to shake-up late nights. The sketch comedy will air usually Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri in late night between 12-2am. Keep it right here for continued updates!

ION Television today announced its latest partnership with leading independent studio Entertainment One Television (eOne), reaching an agreement for new original episodes of Saving Hope. Produced by eOne and ICF Films in association with CTV, season three of the medical drama series recently began production on 18 new episodes in June. The deal, which includes rights to existing seasons one and two, makes ION the exclusive original U.S. television network for current and future seasons of the series. In Saving Hope, the Hope Zion Hospital is left in chaos when its charismatic Chief of Surgery, Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks), falls into a coma, putting his fiancé and fellow surgeon, Alex Reid (Erica Durance), in a state of shock. Along with newly arrived star surgeon, Joel Goran (Daniel Gillies), Reid races to save Harris' life. As the action unfolds, the comatose Harris explores the hospital halls in the form of a spirit, questioning whether or not he is a figment of his own imagination. Reid, along with her fellow doctors, press on to save his life and the lives of others as they deal with the complicated and courageous decisions that are made in their daily struggle to keep hope alive. The series also stars Huse Madhavji, Julia Taylor Ross and Kristopher Turner.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got a preview of Lifetime's Saved By the Bell movie, news of a new season of Arrested Development, and even more Shout! Factory releases. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• It was announced a few weeks ago that we would see The Facts of Life - The Complete Series on DVD sometime next year, and now, it looks as if Shout! Factory has not one, but two other complete series on the horizon, including Sgt. Bilko (The Phil Silvers Show) - The Complete Series and The Jeffersons - The Complete Series. Sgt. Bilko is set to be released on November 4, and The Jeffersons has a release date of December 9. And, we are hearing rumors that there is (at least) one other complete series surprise coming to us from Shout! from within the Sony library... stay tuned!
• If the price of The Wonder Years - The Complete Series is a bit more than you would like to spend at once, it appears there will also be a release of The Wonder Years - Season One on October 7 at a lower price.
• Shout! Factory is returning to releasing Quincy, M.E. on November 11, with their release of Quincy, M.E. - Season 7.
• Mill Creek has another re-release of a Sony series on October 7 with The Flying Nun - Seasons 1 and 2.

Who to Follow: Norman Lear (Twitter), "Produced All in the Family, Good Times, Mary Hartman, Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, Princess Bride. Wrote memoir Even This I Get to Experience"

Claim to Fame: If you know anything about sitcoms, you should know who Norman Lear is... but in case you don't, he was the producer of several successful sitcoms including All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude, Sanford & Son, One Day at a Time, among many others. That isn't even including several other series that came out of his production company. In a sense, Lear can be thought of as the godfather of the modern sitcom. He just recently (as in the past week and a half) made his debut on Twitter, and we're hoping to see more activity from him for several years to come.

Pick of the Tweets: "Of the nearly 8 billion people crawling on Earth, I have chosen u, my dearest darling @carlreiner, 2 receive my first personal tweet.#ETIGTE" (August 5, 2014)

Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got all of our regular features along with a review of The Adventures of Superboy - The Complete Third Season. Let's get going!

DIGITAL NEWS

This week has been a slow news week, and the only "new" item announced this week is really just an old item. But it is definitely a favorite of many fans out there! It appears that on October 15, Fox will be releasing Arrested Development - The Three Original Series, a set that compiles all of the first three seasons of the series (i.e. the ones that aired on Fox) in on set. No word yet on when we'll see DVDs of the Netflix episodes (we undoubtedly will, I'm sure), but we'll let you know when we know more about that.

Although it may be a slow news week, we've got something big for one of our fans! As most of you know, StarVista Entertainment is releasing Mama's Family - The Complete Series on DVD soon. You can purchase the DVD set for $199.95 (a great value considering the content!), and you can also purchase one of 500 limited edition sets autographed by Vicki Lawrence for $299.95. Or better yet, you could enter our contest where we are giving away a prize of the limited edition set! Complete contest details, including how to enter and rules, can be found here. We will have a review of this set (which we anticipate will be one of our favorite ones ever) in the upcoming weeks.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (August 27) is not a very busy release date, but ABC has Grey's Anatomy - The Complete Ninth Season. A full review will be posted for this set soon.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW



Blog DVD Review: The Adventures of Superboy - The Complete Third Season (Warner Archive, $29.95)
by Pavan 

Rocketed from a distant planet to a bold new destiny on Earth...it's Superboy on DVD! There was a six and a half year wait for Superboy on DVD between seasons one and two, now we only had to wait about six month for this third season from Warner Archive! The Boy of Steel's third season ushered in more changes as the show redefined itself for a new decade. Most prominently, the show was now named The Adventures of Superboy, linking Superman's TV past to Superboy's TV future. Leaving Shuster U behind, Clark (Gerard Christopher) and Lana (Stacy Haiduk) take on internships at The Bureau of Extra-Normal Matters in Capitol City, a government agency dedicated to investigating aliens and the paranormal (years before anyone put their "X" on a file!). Working alongside fellow bureau member Matt Ritter (Peter Jay Fernandez) and under bureau chief C. Dennis Jackson (Robert Levine), Clark and Lana delve ever deep into the unknown as the show ups the action and style to cook up a comic-flavored confection of SciFi Noir. Fans will want to keep their eyes peeled for a pair of special guest stars in this 26-Episode, 3-Disc Collection - Stuart Whitman as Jonathan Kent and Ron Ely as...Superman!

The series was a half-hour weekly series that aired in first-run syndication for four seasons. I remember watching it on Saturday afternoons on WWOR locally, and I just loved it. As I mentioned before in past reviews, I have not seen this series in such a long time so most of it seems so new to me. Some memorable episodes include the two-part season premiere "The Bride of Bizarro," as Clark and Lana begin their internship at the Bureau for Extra-Normal Matters, Bizarro returns from deep space to announce on a talk show that he wants a mate. In the second part, after Luthor threatens to create explosive Bizarro duplicates of everyone in the city if Superboy doesn't appear at his lair by midnight, Bizarro once again agrees to kill Superboy in exchange for a Bizarro-bride. In "Carnival," a carnival appears out of thin air, and its owner steals the spirits of some of the carnival-goers, and tests Superboy to break his moral spirit. In "Superboy...Lost," when Superboy tries to intercept a meteor that is approaching Earth, he is injured, resulting in amnesia. Before there was Wife Swap on TV, there was this episode called "Body Swap," where Superboy is tricked into swapping bodies with Lex Luthor, which causes confusion for everyone involved in their lives. In the two-part episode "Rebirth," Clark decides to give up being Superboy and using his powers after a man dies, supposedly as a result of Superboy's actions. And in the conclusion, Lana sets out to clear Superboy's name, so he can be vindicated of the town's condemnation. And on the two-part season finale "The Road to Hell," Superboy is taken to an alternate world where he as a child is living in the jungle and must be saved from being captured, while a run-in with an alternate Lex Luthor creates complications.

The episodes appear to be unedited. Most episodes are just over 21:30. Last season, most episodes ran a bit longer (in the 21:50s) because they had a preview of next week's episode before the closing credits. We don't get those on this set, so maybe they stopped doing that originally? Runtimes are as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "The Bride of Bizarro, Part 1" (21:33)
2. "The Bride of Bizarro, Part 2" (21:33)
3. "The Lair" (21:33)
4. "Neila" (21:34)
5. "Roads Not Taken, Part 1" (21:31)
6. "Roads Not Taken, Part 2" (21:35)
7. "The Sons of Icarus" (21:33)
8. "Carnival" (21:31)

Disc 2:
9. "Test of Time" (21:31)
10. "Mindscape" (21:38)
11. "Superboy... Lost" (21:37)
12. "Special Effects" (21:35)
13. "Neila and the Beast" (21:38)
14. "The Golem" (21:33)
15. "A Day in the Double Life" (21:32)
16. "Body Swap" (21:32)
17. "Rebirth, Part 1" (21:35)

Disc 3:
18. "Rebirth, Part 2" (21:36)
19. "Werewolf" (21:38)
20. "People vs. Metallo" (21:36)
21. "Jackson and Hyde" (21:36)
22. "Mine Games" (21:31)
23. "Wish for Armageddon" (21:33)
24. "Standoff" (21:34)
25. "The Road to Hell, Part 1" (21:34)
26. "The Road to Hell, Part 2" (21:33)

The packaging feels like a Superman type release. The cover is styled like a comic book--a nice shot of Superboy in the middle with the Superboy logo on top and a light brown/tan comic book style background -- all similar to the previous seasons. The back of the case has another shot of Superboy, with synopsis of the series and set. We also have four episodic photos and credits are listed below them. We just have a case holding three discs. There is no artwork on the panels but the discs have artwork. Each disc has the same shot of Superboy from the cover art and the same brown/tan style background. Discs one and two are on a little plastic holder that you can flip like a page in a book, with disc one on the front, and two disc on the back. Disc three is on the right panel itself. Disc one holds episodes 1-8, disc two holds episodes 9-17, and disc three holds episodes 18-26.

The main menu has the light comic book style brown/tan background and the same photo of Superboy from the cover art. We have the choice of Play All or choose an episode title right on the main menu, similar to all Warner Archive releases. There are no subtitles and there are five chapter stops per episode.

The video is decent, but not spectacular, as expected. The audio is crisp and not too low. If you have the first two seasons on DVD, it is just about the same as that in audio and video. As mentioned, each episode runs about 21:30. The episodes are unedited because this series was aired in first-run syndication, so no need to worry about edits here, I think. Less than 22 minutes is not a problem here. As I mentioned, chapter stops are available and we get five of them per episode. We also have the Viacom logo after the closing credits. The one that says "Viacom" out loud. Be scared ! And each two-part episode has a "to be continued..." tag at the end of part one and a "previously on" tag after the opening credits in part two.

The first season set was loaded with special features because it was a Warner Home Video set, but on this set and the previous set we have nothing. That was expected though since this is a Warner Archive made on-demand set. View our first season set review for details on the special features that were on there. Nothing here, but oh well...we get the episodes at least!

I'm so glad Warner Archive decided to continue this series on DVD after Warner Home Video abandoned it after one season. The DVDs are pressed versions right now, so hurry before and get your copy before they turn into DVD-R's. We have just one more season left and I'm sure Warner Archive will give it to us, so continue or start your collection by getting the first three seasons. I thought I'd never see it again on DVD, so thank you Warner Archive. It was fun to watch. This is a great show for fans of the Superman franchise. It's different and focuses on Clark as a boy, so you'll want to see what happens! Found by a Kansas family and raised as Clark Kent, he learned he possessed the strength of steel, the speed of light, and the desire to help all mankind. He is Superboy!

(3.5/5 stars)

To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Superboy on TV.com


FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Allison Janney (Twitter)
Claim to Fame: Janney got her start in screen acting with a lot of small parts in movies and roles on two soap operas (As the World Turns and Guiding Light), but now her first major role in primetime television was on the NBC series The West Wing. While she has had many guest starring roles in sitcoms, she wasn't cast as a regular in any sitcom until the 2011 series Mr. Sunshine (which didn't go over so well). But now, she is getting a second chance at sitcom fame with the Chuck Lorre created series Mom.
Why You Should Follow Her: To be honest, I never fully knew who Allison Janney was until recently. I knew her name and recognized her face, but since I never really watched any of the series that she played in before, I wasn't exactly familiar with her. Of course, as CBS has been heavily promoting their fall lineup and her series Mom, I began to find out more about her, and realized that she is an accomplished actress than is loved by many, which makes me anxious to know more about her and to see her new series. With that being said, her Twitter activity has been very much lacking. Even though she has over 30,000 followers on her verified account, she has only had 23 Tweets, and despite the fact that she has interacted with her fans three times the past two weeks, she went nearly 3 1/2 years without Tweeting before that. So, we're hopeful that she actually is back up and running on Twitter, and fans can enjoy following her!
Pick of the Tweets: "Thanks to @Larakate and the twitter help page I am finally up and tweeting.... Here we go..." (August 13, 2013)

That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!

Late last week we gave you the FX Fall 2013 schedule and we promised we would give you the FXX launch schedule this week... and we will deliver that to you today! FXX will launch on Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 with a marathon of Parks & Recreation, as we already mentioned. The marathon of the comedy will air from 7am-12am, as the sitcom makes its off-network debut (it will also be on WGN America this Fall and the upcoming new network Esquire). The next show airing on launch day will be four episodes of the '90s comedy Mad About You from 12am-2am. We mentioned a couple of times that FXX will air some older comedies and this is one of them. The schedule is more than just the previously announced How I Met Your Mother, Sports Night, Freaks & Geeks, Rescue Me and Arrested Development. The actual regular schedule will launch on Tuesday, Sept. 3, with the Michael J. Fox (and later Charlie Sheen) comedy Spin City airing seven days a week from 7-9am. Spin City was previously on FX but it hasn't aired in recent months. Then the new acquisition Mad About You will air weekdays from 9am-11am. From 11am-1pm (except at 12pm) will be another new buy with the sitcom The Hughleys starring D.L. Hughley. Encores of Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell will air in the 12pm half-hour. From 1pm-5pm, we get more sitcoms, as back-to-back episodes of Sports Night, Arrested Development, How I Met Your Mother and Parks & Recreation will air for an hour each. At 5pm, another encore of Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell will air leading into Anger Management reruns. From 6pm-2am, the schedule varies each day. From 6-8pm on Mondays, a block of Anger Management will air, while movies will air on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Parks & Recreation rounds out the week on Thursdays and Fridays. From 8-11pm, Parks & Recreation will air Mondays, while How I Met Your Mother airs on Thursdays. Movies air the rest of the week in the block, with originals on Wednesdays from 10-11pm of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League (both premiere on Sept. 4).

In late night on weeknights, the Mon-Thurs talk show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell will air at 11pm starting on Sept. 4. From 11:30am-2am the schedule really varies with a mix of Mad About You, Rescue Me, encores of Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League, along with Arrested Development and Sports Night. On weekends, it is mostly filled with movies, but both days start off with comedies. Freaks & Geeks will air on Saturday mornings from 9am-12pm. while the rest of the comedy line-up are more plays of series they air during the week like Spin City, Mad About You, Sports Night, How I Met Your Mother and Arrested Development. Other notable items for FXX Fall 2013 includes as mentioned the new seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League now moved to FXX on Wednesdays from 10-11pm into the Mon-Thurs run of Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. The line-up will launch after the broadcast premiere of the movie Bad Teacher on Sept. 4 from 8-10pm. The broadcast premiere of Friends with Benefits will air the following week (Sept. 11) into the block. The rest of the month has premieres of Hall Pass and 30 Minutes or Less - all airing Wednesdays at 8.

View the full FXX launch schedule premiering in fall 2013 starting Sept. 3. Discuss your thoughts of the schedule there as well.

Emmy® Award-winning actress Jaime Pressly has been cast in the lead role for TV Land's new sitcom pilot Jennifer Falls. Pressly, best known for her work on the NBC series My Name is Earl, will play the lead character, Jennifer Doyle, in this multi-camera pilot. Jennifer Falls revolves around a career woman and mother (Pressly) who must move back in with her own mom after being let go from her high-powered, six-figure salary job. With her teenage daughter in tow, Jennifer has to face her new life, trying to reconnect with old friends in her hometown and making ends meet as a waitress in her brother's bar. The pilot is written, created and executive produced by Matthew Carlson (The Wonder Years, Malcolm in the Middle), with Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis (Reba, The Exes) also serving as executive producers.

TV Land's current line-up of original sitcoms airs Wednesdays at 10pm ET/PT and includes the hit series Hot in Cleveland, The Exes and The Soul Man. The series have received several awards and accolades including two 2013 Creative Arts Emmy® nominations: one for Hot in Cleveland and the other for The Exes. All of these series star pop culture icons and fan favorites including Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves, Kristen Johnston, Donald Faison, Wayne Knight, David Alan Basche, Kelly Stables, Cedric "The Entertainer," Niecy Nash and Wesley Jonathan. This December, TV Land will debut its newest original series, Kirstie, which stars Kirstie Alley, Michael Richards, Rhea Perlman and Eric Petersen. Stay with us for continued updates on Jennifer Falls, because right now it is just a pilot order. Should it be ordered to series, we will let you know. Stay tuned!

FXX has set the premiere date of Wednesday, September 4 for its flagship comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League, and the late night comedy show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell -- all three will be moving from FX to FXX. Of course, FXX, the new entertainment basic cable channel from FX Networks, launches on Monday, September 2 at 7:00 AM ET/PT and will be carried in 72 million homes at launch. The comedy smash hit It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia returns for its 9th season on September 4, at 10:00 PM ET/PT, and airing for 13 episodes on Wednesday nights. This season Sunny will celebrate the telecast its 100th episode on Wednesday, October 9 at 10:00 PM ET/PT. The critically-acclaimed comedy series The League returns for its 5th season on September 4 at 10:30 PM ET/PT, also airing 13 episodes on Wednesday nights. The ensemble cast features Mark Duplass, Stephen Rannazzisi, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, Katie Aselton and Jon Lajoie. And the acclaimed late night comedy show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell is expanding to five nights a week, also beginning September 4, airing Monday through Thursday nights at 11:00 PM ET/PT, with Best of the Week compilation episodes Sunday nights at 11:00 PM ET/PT. The half-hour show stars standup comedian W. Kamau Bell as he hilariously dissects politics, pop culture, race, religion, sex and the media from his own unique point of view. Bell, Chris Rock, Chuck Sklar and Keri Smith Esguia are Executive Producers. The show is shot in New York City before a live studio audience.

FXX will also have Legit move to the network in 2014, but no premiere date yet. Chozen, a new animated comedy will launch in first quarter 2014. In terms of reruns, Parks & Recreation will air on the network and will help launch the network with a Labor Day marathon. The network will also air reruns of How I Met Your Mother, Sports Night, Freaks & Geeks, Rescue Me and Arrested Development, as we mentioned. However, more older sitcoms will also air in the mornings and we will announce those very soon! Also, FX will add a couple of older series to its line-up, including a sitcom. We will announce both FX and FXX's full fall schedules very soon as we make our way around the horn for all fall schedules for cable.

Groundbreaking actor, singer, dancer, author and educator Rita Moreno has been named the 50th recipient of SAG-AFTRA's highest tribute – the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Given annually to an actor who fosters the "finest ideals of the acting profession," the SAG Life Achievement Award will join Moreno's rare catalog of preeminent industry and public honors, which also includes an Oscar®, two Emmys®, a Tony®, a Grammy®, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of the Arts. Moreno will be presented the performers union's top accolade at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014, at 8pm (ET), 7pm (CT), 6pm (MT) and 5pm (PT). At 81, Rita Moreno continues to embody the creative diversity that has been the hallmark of her nearly 70-year career. One of only 11 artists and the only Hispanic performer to have won the entertainment industry's four top competitive awards, she earned her Oscar in 1962 for her iconic portrayal of saucy Anita in West Side Story, a role which drew on memories of the racial taunts she endured as a young Puerto Rican immigrant living in a Bronx "barrio." Her 1972 Grammy honored her performance on The Electric Company Album, based on the long-running PBS children's literacy television series on which Moreno played multiple roles in a memorable cast that included Bill Cosby and Morgan Freeman.

Moreno's current role as Fran Drescher's mother in TV Land's Happily Divorced, is the latest in a long roster of television performances dating back to a panoply of television anthologies in the early 1950s and continuing throughout her career with numerous guest roles between films and stage appearances. In 1982-83, she starred in her own TV series based on the film 9 to 5. Additionally, she played opposite Burt Reynolds in B.L. Stryker and was a series regular with Bill Cosby on NBC's The Cosby Mysteries. And in 2007, she starred in the CBS series Cane.

Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got all of our regular features (including some Netflix news), along with a review of Medical Center - The Complete Third Season. Let's get going!

DIGITAL NEWS

CBS announced this week that they have extended their licensing deal with the streaming service Netflix. Under the new deal, CBS content will be streamed instantly to Netflix, adding new titles including the CW's L.A. Complex, 4400 and CSI: NY.

Speaking of Netflix, it wasn't that long ago that they debuted the fourth season of the series Arrested Development, and at the time they made it clear that those episodes would essentially wrap up the series... maybe. It seems, though, that more could be on the way. So will a fifth season materialize? It sounds like all parties are interested, even after the previous insistence that the fourth season would be the last. Of course, this tends to be more or less the course of things when it comes to the series anyway!

TVShowsOnDVD.com brought two news stories of interest to fans of animated comedies, and September 24 is the date to mark on the calendar for those fans. On that date, Fox will be releasing Family Guy - Volume 11 and American Dad - Volume 8. Both of these releases will be DVD only (so still no Blu-ray for either of these series), but we're glad to see them coming nonetheless.

UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (July 16) has one sitcom release, with Warner Home Video's release of George Lopez - The Complete Third Season. Additionally, CBS has Matlock - The Ninth and Final Season.



BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
 
 

Blog DVD Review: Medical Center - The Complete Third Season (Warner Archive, $49.95)
by skees53

Warner Archive is paging Dr. Joe Gannon (Chad Everett) and Dr. Paul Lochner (James Daly) once again with their release of Medical Center - The Complete Third Season. The classic series, which ran from 1969-1976 on CBS, follows the two surgeons, each from much different generations, in a Los Angeles hospital as they work hard to save lives each and every day. The third season contains 24 episodes from the 1971-1972 season in a six disc set, available only as a MOD title (with some initial pressed copies) from Warner Archive.

The season kicks off with "Blood Line," where a fugitive who is on the run from the law may be the only hope to save his son's life. A highly respected country doctor may not be what he seems to be in "The Imposter." A heart patient risks her life to protect her sterile husband's pride in "Double Jeopardy." In "Circle of Power," a distinguished surgeon may be losing the use of his hands. A husband is being treated for psychological impotence in "The Shattered Man." In "Albatross," a young man's mental handicap is spawning a family tragedy. A surgeon who also happens to be a once-convicted sex offender is accused of child molestation in "Suspected." A charming fraud is risking the life of a young patient in "The Pawn."

Suzanne Pleshette plays a lung cancer victim determined to keep her nightmare a secret in "Conspiracy." A murder takes place in the two part episode "Shock," and the prime suspect hits a bit too close to home for Dr. Lochner. In "Secret," a doctor is driven back to a past of alcoholism. A doctor is torn between two decisions in "The Choice." In "Deadlock," a surgeon's wife is kidnapped, and she will be saved only if he can arrange the death of a certain patient. A man awakes from a three year coma following a car crash in "Awakening," only to find that there were even more consequences to the car crash than just the coma. The season ends with "Conflict," where a rape-murder mystery ends with a shocking confession by a young intern's fiance.

The episodes are unedited, including even the original MGM logo at the end (this was one of the many classic MGM series that ended in the hands of Turner in the '80s, which in turn the Turner library ended in the hands of Warner later). Runtimes are as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "Blood Line" (50:16)
2. "The Corrupted" (50:21)
3. "The Imposter" (50:21)
4. "Double Jeopardy" (50:18)

Disc 2:
5. "The Idol Maker" (50:19)
6. "Circle of Power" (50:19)
7. "The Shattered Man" (50:21)
8. "Albatross" (50:15)

Disc 3:
9. "The Martyr" (50:19)
10. "Suspected" (50:19)
11. "The Loser" (50:19)
12. "The Pawn" (50:17)

Disc 4:
13. "Conspiracy" (50:19)
14. "The Nowhere Child" (49:57)
15. "Shock (Part 1)" (50:19)
16. "Shock (Part 2)" (50:19)

Disc 5:
17. "Fatal Decision" (50:21)
18. "Terror" (50:18)
19. "The Secret" (50:18)
20. "The Choice" (50:09)

Disc 6:
21. "Deadlock" (50:18)
22. "The Awakening" (50:13)
23. "Confession" (50:18)
24. "Conflict" (50:18)

The set comes packaged in a SINGLE Viva Case (which is a bit different from the typical Warner Archive practice of doing "Part 1" and "Part 2" sets for these multi-disc drama series). The cover has a photo of Dr. Gannon preparing a syringe, and on the back, there is a descritpion of the series along with a few episode snapshots. Inside the case, you'll find the six discs, all of which have a photo of an operating room scene with a green tint. Episode titles are printed on each disc. Once again, even though Warner Archive titles are typically MOD releases, this multi-disc set is on pressed DVDs for those purchasing some of the initial copies.

The menus on the set are in line with other Warner Archive releases. On the main menu, there is a Play All option along with a list of episodes. The only artwork on the main menu is the same artwork that is seen on the cover. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately. Chapters are placed throughout each episode.

Warner Archive claims that the episodes on this set are newly remastered, and based upon what I found on here, I am inclined to believe them. Sometimes, that phrase is thrown around a bit carelessly, but the episodes on this set look excellent, far better than I would anticipate from 40 year old episodes. There is only a very minimal amount of grain and debris, and the colors look fine. The audio is fine as well, but there are no closed-captions or subtitles on this set.

The set contains no special features.

This is an excellent collection of episodes, and an excellent series. Fans of classic medical dramas (even those who haven't seen this) are sure to enjoy it. I really enjoy these late '60s and early '70s medical dramas that deal not only with the medical crisis at hand, but also take time to deal with ethical issues and social issues of the time. The series is a lot like Marcus Welby, MD (which coincidentally ran in the exact same seasons as this series on ABC), even down to the "young doctor, old doctor" theme, with this one focusing on the younger doctor and work at the hospital (as opposed to Welby focusing on an older doctor with a more traditional family practice). Still, fans of that show (as well as the healthy fan base of the recently deceased Chad Everett) are sure to enjoy this series, and this particular season of the series.

(4/5 stars)

To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Warner Archive

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Medical Center on TV.com


FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Carl Reiner (Twitter), "Actor, Film Director, Author, 12 Emmys, 1 Grammy and a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 3 great kids from 1 great wife"
Claim to Fame: Hopefully, this isn't something that anybody doesn't already know. Carl Reiner has been actively involved in television going all the way back to the earliest days of television in 1950 with Your Show of Shows. Of course, his most memorable claim to fame came in 1961 with the series that he was supposed to star in (but didn't), The Dick Van Dyke Show. He has worked both behind the scenes and on camera on many TV series and movies, and even continues to work actively these days at the age of 92.
Why You Should Follow Him: Hopefully, you don't need too much convincing to know why you should follow a man who could be considered one of the pioneers of television. He is surprisingly active on Twitter and his humor seems to manifest itself naturally. He seems to talk about food quite a bit on Twitter, his career, his professional sidekicks, and occasionally even political and social issues (but he doesn't get too outraged over any of them).
Pick of the Tweets: "If you had told me 10 years ago that one day I'd send out my 200th tweet, I'd have said, "Heavens to Betsy, what the hell is a tweet?" (March 17, 2013)

That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!