Monday, December 20, 2021
COZI TV Columbo Toast on New Year's Day, Brings Back McMillan and Wife, Banacek and McCloud; Better Things Final Season Premieres Feb. 28

COZI TV is offering a special toast to Columbo fans from coast-to-coast this New Year's Day – and keeping the spirits flowing on Saturdays throughout the year. The national multicast network will kick off 2022 with a Columbo marathon beginning at 8:00am ET on Saturday, January 1, 2022 and continuing throughout the day. One week later on Saturday, Jan. 8, Peter Falk returns in a new, weekly "Columbo and Company" Saturday block complete with six hours of the beloved television drama along with new episodes of McMillan and Wife, Banacek and McCloud; all part of NBC's iconic Mystery Movie "wheel" series from the early 1970s. Check local listings for details, but "Columbo and Company" will air on Saturdays from 8am-3pm and with more Columbo in Saturday primetime starting at 8pm. These dramas join previously announced sitcoms Amen (weekdays 3-4pm) and Gimme a Break! (weekdays 4-5pm) starting January 3.
Columbo made its television series debut September 15, 1971 on NBC. The series ran for a total of 10 seasons, shifting to ABC for its final three seasons, along with various specials through its time on television. Peter Falk won four Emmy Awards for his portrayal of the rumpled, cigar-smoking homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo homicide detective throughout its run. Directors of the series through its 10 seasons included Steven Spielberg, Ben Gazzara, and Jonathan Demme along with many celebrity guest appearances.
The acclaimed and award-winning comedy series Better Things, directed by, produced by and starring Pamela Adlon, will premiere its fifth and final season on Monday, February 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX and streaming on Hulu. The premiere event will feature the first two episodes of the fifth season, followed by a new episode each subsequent week. In its fifth and final chapter, Better Things focuses on 'the road ahead' for its unconventional, unfiltered heroine, Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), so devoted to her life as a working actor and single mother of three that she's left little time for that one elusive thing: herself. As she navigates three daughters, each coming of age; the challenges of her chosen career; and her mother's increasing signs of aging (as well as her own) - Sam embraces each moment, and each member of her family, with a fierce love, raw honesty and biting humor. As each of the Fox women come of age into the next phase of their life, they are inspired to reevaluate themselves, learn from the past and find their own direction.
Pamela Adlon stars in Better Things for which she is also an executive producer, writer and the sole director for season five. In addition to Adlon, the series stars Mikey Madison, Hannah Riley, Olivia Edward and Celia Imrie. Better Things is produced by FX Productions. The final season will also feature guest stars Lena Waithe, Ron Cephas Jones, Danny Trejo, Marty Krofft, Clive Russell, Casey Wilson, Rainbow Sun Francks, Angela Kinsey, Kevin Michael Richardson, Nelson Lee, Lennon Parham and Usman Ally, as well as the return of Diedrich Bader, Kevin Pollak, Rosalind Chao, Judy Gold, Cree Summer, Alysia Reiner, Greg Cromer, Dominic Burgess, Matthew Glave and Mario Cantone.
Monday, April 01, 2019
Better Things Gets 4th Season in 2020; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Returns in May on Fridays

Better Things, the acclaimed and award-winning comedy series directed by, produced by and starring Pamela Adlon, has been renewed for a fourth season on FX. The fourth season will air on FX in 2020. Adlon serves as writer, executive producer, showrunner and directed all 12 episodes of the third season. Better Things is produced by FX Productions. There are seven episodes remaining in season three airing Thursdays at 10 PM ET/PT through May 16. In last week's fifth episode "No Limit" (that aired March 28, 2019 at 10:00p ET/PT on FX), Sam unleashes. (Written by Pamela Adlon & Joe Hortua; directed by Pamela Adlon.) Better Things ranks among the most critically acclaimed series on TV, with the third season scoring a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 94 on Metacritic.
Better Things is the story of Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), a single mother and working actor with no filter, raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) in Los Angeles. She also looks after her mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), an English expat with questionable faculties who lives across the street. Whether she's struggling to keep her daughters close or trying to push one of them out of the nest, Sam approaches every challenge with fierce love, raw honesty and humor. At the end of the day, Sam's just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters' changing lives, survive her family, have fun with a friend or two, and also - just maybe - squeeze in some private time.
It was announced from the stage Saturday at WonderCon that Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will return for its sixth season with a special episode directed by series star Clark Gregg, on Friday, May 10 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand. Last season, the team leaped forward in time to a dystopian future they soon realized must be prevented. While facing multiple timelines and new enemies from faraway planets, they found family, friends, teammates and the courage to pull off their biggest challenge yet. Their next challenge? Coming to grips with the knowledge that bending the laws of space and time may have saved the planet, but it couldn't save Fitz or Coulson.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. stars Clark Gregg as Sarge, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Henry Simmons as Director Alphonso "Mack" MacKenzie, Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez and Jeff Ward as Deke Shaw. The series will air Fridays at 8pm for 13 episodes and has already been renewed for a seventh season for sometime in 2020.
Friday, January 04, 2019
Fri-Yay: Sitcoms in the Year 2019; Things Get Better Again on FX with Season 3 of Comedy

by Vincent
Now that another calendar year is upon us, what can we expect from sitcoms in the year of 2019? 2018 was a year where a lot of sitcoms continued to surprise me. I'd expect shows like Superstore, The Good Place, Bojack Horseman and One Day at a Time will continue to impress with their 2019 batch of episodes. But what are some other, less covered shows that could take off in 2019, and what else is going on in the world of sitcoms?
Personally, I'm interested to see how things shape up on these sitcoms coming to an end: You're the Worst, Broad City, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. All of these shows are poised to reach their conclusions this season, and I'm really sad to see them go but also feel that it might be the right time for many of them to wrap up, and am interested to see just how they wrap things off. All of these shows will certainly be very missed in the sitcom landscape.
And how about new shows, or shows that haven't quite taken off yet? I'll be keeping an eye on Comedy Central's Corporate, a riotously funny show that I hope doesn't go the way of recent Comedy Central projects. I'm also interested in AP Bio on NBC. I wasn't a big fan of the first season, but I saw potential for greatness, and now that it's getting another shot, I'm interested to see if it can build on its potential in its second season. Elsewhere, I'm interested to see if Netflix has any more interesting comedies in the pipeline. It feels as if sitcoms have taken a bit of a backseat on that platform, and I'd love to see some more great, original comedies come out of the streaming service.
2019 will surely bring some surprises, as well, just as 2018 did with shows like Corporate. Still, I feel 2018 was somewhat of a quiet year for sitcoms (and even for TV in general) - let's hope 2019 brings them back with a vengeance.
Better Things, the acclaimed and award-winning comedy series directed by, produced by and starring Pamela Adlon, will return to FX for its third season on Thursday, February 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Better Things is the story of Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), a single mother and working actor with no filter, raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) in Los Angeles. She also looks after her mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), an English expat with questionable faculties who lives across the street. Whether she's struggling to keep her daughters close or trying to push one of them out of the nest, Sam approaches every challenge with fierce love, raw honesty and humor. At the end of the day, Sam's just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters' changing lives, survive her family, have fun with a friend or two, and also - just maybe - squeeze in some private time.
Season three will welcome several new faces as guests: Sharon Stone, Matthew Broderick, Doug Jones, Glynn Turman, Judy Reyes, Cree Summer, Charlie Robinson, Janina Gavankar and Marsha Thomason to name a few. Additionally, recurring players Diedrich Bader, Greg Cromer, Rebecca Metz, Kevin Pollak and Alysia Reiner will return this season, inhabiting their familiar roles. Adlon, who directs all 12 episodes of the third season, also serves as writer, executive producer and showrunner. Better Things is produced by FX Productions. In its first season, Better Things was one of seven entertainment programs to be honored with a Peabody Award. Additionally, in the first and second seasons, Pamela Adlon was nominated for an Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe(R) Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy in season two.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Celebrate Halloween with The Simpsons on FXX; Sister Network FX Brings Back Comedy for 3rd Season
FXX will celebrate Halloween with a The Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" programming event culminating with a 13-hour marathon on Monday, October 31. The marathon will air 26 episodes of "Treehouse" in season order (seasons 2-27) beginning 11am ET/PT and concluding at 12am ET/PT. The week prior will feature six nights of themed "Treehouse" mini-marathons during primetime starting tonight on October 23 through October 30. FX will separately feature a Halloween Weekend Movie Marathon. The Halloween weekend begins on FX at 11am ET/PT on Saturday, October 28, with the showing of Riddick followed by Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Dracula Untold, The Purge, and back-to-back showings of The Purge: Anarchy beginning at 8pm. The marathon resumes at 11:30am ET/PT on Sunday, October 29 with another showing of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Dracula Untold, followed by The Book of Life at 4pm, Hotel Transylvania, and back-to-back showings of the world broadcast premiere of Hotel Transylvania 2 at 8pm. The marathon ends with Surrogates at 12am.
Better Things, the Peabody-winning comedy series co-created by and starring Pamela Adlon, has been renewed for a third season. The third season will air on FX in 2018. Better Things, currently airing its second season, centers on Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), a single, working actor with no filter raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) in Los Angeles. She's mom, dad, referee and the cops. Sam also watches out for her mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), an English expatriate who lives across the street. Sam is flawed and fierce with her love for her daughters, and her own mother as well, sometimes heaping the love on when she feels guilty. Sam's just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters' lives, have fun with a friend or two and also - just maybe - squeeze in some private time once in a while.
Adlon, who directed all 10 episodes of the second season, serves as writer and Executive Producer alongside Louis C.K. Additional Executive Producers include M. Blair Breard, Dave Becky and 3 Arts Entertainment. Better Things is produced by C.K.'s production company Pig Newton for FX Productions. Better Things won a Peabody Award in 2016 for its first season and Adlon was nominated for an Emmy(R) for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Friday, June 30, 2017
Fri-Yay: Get Your GLOW On; FX and FXX Set Comedy Returns in September
by Vincent
Summer has always been a slow time for TV, but that's changed a bit in recent years with streaming services and premium cable, who generally try to keep their operations running all year. Even still, there is significantly less TV to be found in the summer months, and especially less good TV. So it's a nice surprise when we have a show like Netflix's GLOW, a refreshing new half-hour comedy from Orange is the New Black producer Jenji Kohan.
GLOW has a bit of an unconventional premise. It's based on the real female wrestling television series "GLOW," which aired from 1986-1990 in syndicated TV. GLOW was a breakthrough female wrestling show that fought many odds to become a long-running, successful program, and GLOW follows the show's conception and journey to the pilot. (The first season, at least, focuses on the show's preparation for the pilot: assumingly, future seasons would follow the rest of the show.) While Netflix's GLOW is only "based" on the true story, and takes many liberties with its characters and plot (much like Kohan's other Netflix series Orange is the New Black) it retains the same scrappy underdog energy. You get the sense that the odds are low for the show's success, and the only way it can survive is if the show's cast fights hard and really believes in themselves.
In that way, GLOW sort of feels like your classic "underdog" story, and follows many of the similar beats of one. It's sort of a "Friday Night Lights, but with female wrestlers" type of show (or, I've been describing it as "Glee, except with female wrestlers, and also unlike Glee, it's good.") There hasn't really been a good "underdog" story on TV in quite a while (since maybe the first season of the aforementioned Glee?), and it's fun to settle back into those rhythms of watching characters that start off hating each other work towards a common goal that seems impossible at the start of the series but gradually seems more and more and reach. GLOW also adds enough interesting spins on the "underdog" dynamic that it doesn't feel completely "done" before, particularly in its lead character Ruth (portrayed brilliantly by Alison Brie), who is more complex, flawed, and nuanced than you might expect from a "hero" of a show like this. In fact, the entire cast is doing a great job of taking what could be stock characters and turning them into genuinely interesting people. Betty Gilpin's Debbie could be the typical "diva" lead, but instead she's someone who feels trapped in her failing marriage and uses GLOW as an escape. Marc Maron's Sam could be a typical sleazeball director, and he kind of his, but the way Maron plays him gives insight into why he's that way. And Chris Lowell does such an excellent job with his character (the show's producer, Bash) that he somehow transforms the spoiled, coked up rich boy into one of the most lovable characters on the show.
There isn't much to watch on TV right now. So there's really no reason not to check out Netflix's GLOW, which is not only "great for a summer show" - it's just great TV.
FX Networks has set the premiere dates for the acclaimed comedy series You're the Worst, which returns to FXX on Wednesday, September 6, and Better Things, which comes back to FX on Thursday, September 14. From Creator/Executive Producer Stephen Falk, You're the Worst returns to FXX for its fourth season with a special one-hour premiere on Wednesday, September 6 at 10 PM ET/PT. You're the Worst is a modern look at love and happiness told through the eyes of two people who haven't been very successful with either. It's the story of Gretchen and Jimmy, fear, heartbreak, romance, sex, food, Los Angeles, Sunday Funday, friendship, and the fact that sometimes the worst people make the best partners.
Peabody(R) Award Winner Better Things is back for its second season on FX beginning Thursday, September 14 at 10 PM ET/PT. Better Things centers on Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), a single, working actor with no filter raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) in Los Angeles. She's mom, dad, referee and the cops. Sam also watches out for her mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), an English expatriate, who lives across the street. Sam is flawed and fierce with her love for her daughters, and her own mother, as well. Sometimes, heaping the love on when she feels guilty. Sam's just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters' lives, have fun with a friend or two and also - just maybe - squeeze in some private time once in a while.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Amen Coming to Centric; FX Orders New Seasons of Atlanta and Better Things
'80s sitcom Amen is coming to Centric! The series will get a nice marathon beginning at 11:59pm this Saturday (Sept. 24) lasting through Monday, Sept. 26 at 5:30pm. That's a whole lotta Amen! The series will air in a few blocks that week as well before settling into its regular weekdays from 10am-12pm timeslot leading into Family Matters, Bernie Mac and Eve from 12pm-5:30pm. It looks like The Steve Harvey Show and 227 will be on weekends. Deacon Frye, head of the First Community Church of Philadelphia, is trying to keep everything in his church firmly under control. His new assistant, Rev. Reuben Gregory, however, has some very different ideas of how do things. The parishoners, seeing that the best path probably lies between the two, play the two squabbling men off each other to keep things on a more or less even keel. Adding to the fray is the Deacon's daughter Thelma, who gradually becomes attracted to the new Reverend. The sitcom stars Sherman Hemsley, C lifton Davis, Anna Maria Horsford, Roz Ryan, Jester Hairston, Barbara Montgomery, Rosetta LeNoire, Bumper Robinson, Elsa Raven, Tony T. Johnson, and Montrose Hagins. Shine on me!
FX has renewed the acclaimed new comedy series Atlanta and Better Things. The network has ordered 10 episodes for the second season of each series. Atlanta and Better Things each returned with new episodes this week. Atlantaairs Tuesdays at 10 PM ET/PT on FX. In Atlanta, 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 Stanfield) is Alfred's right-hand man and visionary. "Van" (Zazie Beetz) is Earn's best friend and the mother of Earn's daughter.
Better Things airs Thursdays at 10 PM ET/PT on FX. Better Things centers on Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), a single, working actor with no filter raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) in Los Angeles. She's mom, dad, referee and the cops. Sam also watches out for her mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), an English expatriate, who lives across the street. Sam is flawed and fierce with her love for her daughters, and her own mother, as well. Sometimes, heaping the love on when she feels guilty. Sam's just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters' lives, have fun with a friend or two and also - just maybe - squeeze in some private time once in a while.
Wednesday, July 06, 2016
FX Fall 2016 Premiere Dates; Freeform Announces New Comedy Pilot
Atlanta, the new comedy created by and starring Donald Glover, will have its series premiere on FX on Tuesday, September 6 at 10 PM ET/PT. In Atlanta, 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 Marks" (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. "Vanessa" (Zazie Beetz) is Earn's best friend and the mother of Earn's daughter. Glover serves as Executive Producer, along with Paul Simms and Dianne McGunigle of MGMT Entertainment. Atlanta is produced by FX Productions.
Better Things, the new comedy co-created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K. and starring Adlon, gets its series premiere on FX on Thursday, September 8 at 10 PM ET/PT. Better Things centers on Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), a single, working actor with no filter raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) in Los Angeles. She's mom, dad, referee and the cops. Sam also watches out for her mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), an English expatriate, who lives across the street. Sam is flawed and fierce with her love for her daughters, and her own mother, as well. Sometimes, heaping the love on when she feels guilty. Sam's just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters' lives, have fun with a friend or two and also - just maybe - squeeze in some private time once in a while. Adlon serves as Executive Producer alongside Louis C.K., Blair Breard, Dave Becky and 3 Arts Entertainment. Better Things is produced by C.K.'s production company Pig Newton for FX Productions.
American Horror Story returns with for its sixth installment on FX on Wednesday, September 14 at 10 PM ET/PT.
As Freeform's summer slate rolls out, they have announced a new comedy pilot Alone Together by The Lonely Island team of Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. Alone Together, is a half-hour comedy about two overlooked millennial misfits from different backgrounds as they try to make their way into the vain and status-obsessed culture of Los Angeles only to find salvation in their male/female strictly platonic friendship. Esther Povitsky, (Lady Dynamite, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) Benji Afalo (Not Safe with Nikki Glaser) will star in, write and executive-produce the pilot. Eben Russell will also write and executive-produce. This pilot joins other recently announced pickups, series and pilots including season six for hit comedy Baby Daddy, and series Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After, Famous In Love and Marvel's Cloak and Dagger and pilot Issues.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Wednesday, August 20
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "The Golden Bachelor Live" (FXX and FX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Host Jesse Palmer walks the audience through Frank's journey up until his final rose ceremony in the "Golden Bachelor" finale.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 18)
Wednesday, August 20
- Tiffany Haddish (The Last O.G./The Carmichael Show) - Tiffany guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Andy Samberg (Digman!/Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Watch Andy on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows/The Thundermans) - Harvey stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Billy Crystal (The Comedians/Soap) - Billy is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Amy Sedaris (No Activity/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/Strangers with Candy) - Amy appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing) and Echo Kellum (Grand Crew/Sean Saves the World/Ben and Kate) - Pete and Echo are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Ron Howard (Arrested Development/Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) - Ron talks about Eden on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) and Michael Urie (Shrinking/Krapopolis/Partners) - Kumail and Michael talk about Broadway's Oh, Mary! on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Marsai Martin (black-ish) - Marsai appears on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat/Victorious) - Ariana is joining Drew to chat all about her role in the iconic new musical Wicked on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts