SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

We have all of the major updates from the TCA Winter 2020 Press Tour where more cable networks presented Fri-Sun. We'll focus on comedy news, of course. Fresh off of last week's buzzed-about season premiere, grown-ish has been picked up for a fourth season on Freeform. Starring Yara Shahidi, Trevor Jackson, Francia Raisa, Emily Arlook, Jordan Buhat, Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Luka Sabbat and Diggy Simmons, the series is a contemporary take on the issues that students face in the world of higher education. Freeform's new comedy Everything's Gonna Be Okay, which The New York Times called "a charming dramedy, with an oddball voice and a bittersweet undercurrent," will have a special airing of its pilot episode on sister network FX on Wednesday (Jan. 22) at 10 p.m. EST/PST.

National Geographic Global Television Networks President announced additional season pickups of hit franchise series Brain Games, Running Wild with Bear Grylls and Life Below Zero. It was also announced that the second season of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted will premiere on Sunday, May 10, at 10/9c on National Geographic. Family entertainment network BYUtv announced its new comedy competition series Wayne Brady's Comedy IQ, created and hosted by multiple Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated Wayne Brady and his producing partner, Mandie Taketa. The show, which counts Queen Latifah among its executive producers, will premiere on April 6, 2020. Meanwhile, Apple announced that Central Park, an animated musical comedy from Emmy Award winner Loren Bouchard (Bob's Burgers), executive producer Josh Gad (Frozen) and executive producer Nora Smith (Bob's Burgers), will premiere exclusively on Apple TV+ this summer. Central Park is an animated musical comedy about the Tillermans, a family that lives in Central Park. Owen, the park manager, and Paige, his journalist wife, raise their kids Molly and Cole in the world's most famous park, while fending off hotel heiress Bitsy Brandenham and her long suffering assistant Helen, who would love nothing more than to turn the park into condos. The series voice cast includes Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs and Stanley Tucci.

Apple announced that Trying, its first original series from the UK to debut on Apple TV+, will premiere Friday, May 1 around the world. All Jason and Nikki want is a baby. But it's the one thing they just can't have. Starring Rafe Spall and Esther Smith, Trying is a new comedy series about growing up, settling down and finding someone to love. BAFTA Award winner Imelda Staunton also stars. The series, featuring eight half-hour episodes, hails from BBC Studios and is written by Andy Wolton. The new series will premiere globally on Apple TV+, a new home for the world's most creative storytellers. Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, select Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, as well as at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards® presented its coveted Actor® statuettes for the outstanding motion picture and television performances of 2019 at the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, held Sunday, Jan. 19 at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall. The television winners are below:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
SAM ROCKWELL / Bob Fosse – FOSSE/VERDON

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
MICHELLE WILLIAMS / Gwen Verdon – FOSSE/VERDON

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – GAME OF THRONES

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
JENNIFER ANISTON / Alex Levy – THE MORNING SHOW

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
TONY SHALHOUB / Abe Weissman – THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE / Fleabag – FLEABAG

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
THE CROWN

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
GAME OF THRONES

Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother) and Connie Ray (The Big C) join the cast of Kim Possible, the live-action Disney Channel Original Movie based on the global hit animated series about an everyday high school girl who, in her spare time, saves the world from villains. Hannigan will play the role of brain surgeon Dr. Ann Possible (aka Mom Possible) and Ray will play grandmother Nana Possible. Also joining the cast are Todd Stashwick (12 Monkeys) and Taylor Ortega who will play fan-favorite villains Drakken and Shego, respectively; Ciara Wilson (OMG!) has been cast as new high school student Athena; and Erika Tham (Make It Pop) will play Kim's childhood frenemy, Bonnie. They join the previously announced leads, Sadie Stanley as Kim Possible and Sean Giambrone (The Goldbergs) as Ron Stoppable, in the comedy-adventure set to debut in 2019.

BYUtv, a family entertainment network, today announced the start of production for its original scripted adventure comedy series, Dwight in Shining Armor, slated to premiere in 2019. Sloane Morgan Siegel (Amazon Studio's Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street), Caitlin Carmichael (Young Sheldon) and Joel McCrary (The Princess Diaries 1 & 2) star in this new series created by LeeAnne H. Adams & Brian J. Adams (Amazon Studio's 12 Princesses) that is currently being filmed in Salt Lake City. Season one of the 30 minute adventure comedy series takes place in a suburban town where Dwight, a 21st century teen, falls into an ancient, underground chamber and lands lip-to-lip with Gretta, a gothic princess who has been magically sleeping for a thousand years. Dwight's "kiss" awakens Gretta, her court magician, Baldric, as well as scores of medieval villains, and makes Dwight her de facto champion until her hordes of enemies are defeated.

In this story of two worlds colliding, Gretta and Baldric come from a rough and tough gothic war zone. They have no way of understanding 21st century manners or political climate. And they're not really interested in adapting - they've got bigger concerns because all the problems from their world have followed them here. Dwight, on the other hand, fits perfectly in the 21st century. He's the model Generation Z kid: sensitive, open-minded, health-conscious, responsible, non-confrontational - all the qualities that Gretta's world associates with sniveling weakness. He seems like the least-equipped person to fight off Gretta's hordes of enemies, and he's not really interested in becoming a rough and tough champion. If he has to do this job, he's going to do it his way.