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

It's not May just yet, but we're already getting some renewals and cancelations as networks begin looking towards the 2021-2022 TV season. And the most recent cancelation was Bless the Harts, the sophomore Fox comedy series that has been occupying the much-maligned 7:30 slot this spring. Bless the Harts was a so-so ratings performer last year but won a second season renewal as it managed to maintain a decent enough audience, and Fox is likely looking for possible future animated anchors in the case that long-running The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob's Burgers decide to end their run. Fox's Animated block is still a valuable piece of network TV real estate, drawing decent young male viewership and being very popular in cable syndication.

Still, it seems Bless the Harts will not be part of that block any longer. While the series never quite became what I'd call "great," it was enjoyable enough with some flashes of promise. Fox seems to be much more confident in The Great North, a freshman comedy series from Bob's Burgers creator Loren Bouchard. Bouchard now produces two of Fox's animated sitcoms, and perhaps Fox is trying to turn him into what Seth MacFarlane was for the network back in the 2000s and early 2010s, when he had Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show all in the animated block. It's too bad Bless the Harts couldn't stick around longer and pave the way of the animated block's future, but it'll be interesting to see if there's any more shifts in one of the last reliable blocks of network comedy left on TV.

Variety and Lifetime announced the one-hour special Lifetime Presents Variety's Power of Women The Comedians which will premiere on Monday, May 10 at 8PM ET/PT on Lifetime. The special will be timed to Variety's Power of Women issue, which hits newsstands on Wednesday, May 5. The honorees will all appear on the cover of the issue. Additional content from the special will air on Variety.com and social media channels. The special will honor the comedic impact of Emmy nominated Writer, Actor and Producer Mindy Kaling, Multiple Emmy Award-Winning Actor and Saturday Night Live legend Maya Rudolph, Multiple Emmy and Golden Globe-Winning Actor and Producer Julia Louis-Dreyfus, SAG Award-Winning and Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Actor Sofía Vergara, BAFTA Award-Winning Actor, Writer, Director and Producer Michaela Coel, and Emmy Award-winning Saturday Night Live Actor Kate McKinnon. Each honoree will be interviewed by a close family member or friend - including Aidy Bryant, Bowen Yang, Nastasha Lyonne, Luis Balaguer, and Charlie Hall.

Previous Power of Women honorees include Cate Blanchett, Patti LuPone, Janelle Monae, Brie Larson, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Aniston, Laverne Cox, Jennifer Garner, Tiffany Haddish, Gigi Hadid, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nicole Kidman, Blake Lively, Helen Mirren and Natalie Portman, among others.

All-new animated comedy The Great North debuts Sunday, Feb. 14 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox, as part of Sunday's Animation Domination lineup. The series, which already has been renewed for a second season, was created, written and executive-produced by Bob's Burgers writers and executive producers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, as well as writer Minty Lewis. The comedy follows the Alaskan adventures of the Tobin family, as a single dad, BEEF (Nick Offerman), does his best to keep his weird bunch of kids close - especially his only daughter, JUDY (Jenny Slate), whose artistic dreams lead her away from the family fishing boat and into the glamorous world of the local mall. Rounding out the family are Judy's older brother, WOLF (Will Forte); his fiancé, HONEYBEE (Dulcé Sloan); her middle brother, HAM (Paul Rust); and ten-year-old-going-on-fifty little brother, MOON (Aparna Nancherla). While the children's mother is not in the picture, Judy seeks guidance from her new boss, ALYSON (Megan Mullally), and her imaginary friend, ALANIS MORISSETTE (guest-voicing as herself), who appears to her in the Northern Lights.

Animation Domination returns Sunday, Feb. 14 on Fox with all-new episodes of Bless the Harts (7:30-8:00 PM ET/PT) at a new time, The Simpsons (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), The Great North (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT), Bob's Burgers (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) and Family Guy (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT). The evening kicks off with the series premiere of all-new trivia game show Cherries Wild (7:00-7:30 PM ET/PT), hosted by Jason Biggs.

HBO Max has renewed the hit comedic thriller The Flight Attendant starring Kaley Cuoco for a second season. The eight-episode first season premiered November 26 and had its finale on December 17. The entire first season is available to stream now on HBO Max. Season one was based on the novel of the same name by New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian and told the story of how an entire life can change in one night. Flight attendant "Cassie Bowden" (Cuoco) woke up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man - and no idea what happened. The season also starred Michiel Huisman, Rosie Perez, Zosia Mamet, Michelle Gomez, T.R. Knight, Colin Woodell, Merle Dandridge, Griffin Matthews and Nolan Gerard Funk. Season two will feature Cassie in a new adventure. The first season saw week over week growth and ranked as HBO Max's #1 series overall during its run.

Fox has announced the first Fall premiere dates for any network so far. But it's only for one night. All-new seasons of The Simpsons, Bless the Harts, Bob's Burgers and Family Guy will have their season premieres on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020 starting at 8/7c on Fox. Fellow returning animated comedy Duncanville will return in Spring 2021. Fox will announce premiere dates for the rest of the week at a later date. See below for Sunday details:

Sunday, September 27, 2020
7:00pm NFL Overrun/The OT
8:00pm The Simpsons (Season Premiere)
8:30pm Bless the Harts (Season Premiere)
9:00pm Bob's Burgers (Season Premiere)
9:30pm Family Guy (Season Premiere)

Sunday, October 4, 2020
7:00pm The Simpsons (R) (Time Period Premiere)
7:30pm Bob's Burgers (R) (Time Period Premiere)
8:00pm The Simpsons (All-New)
8:30pm Bless the Harts (All-New)
9:00pm Bob's Burgers (All-New)
9:30pm Family Guy (All-New)

As announced on John Cena's Twitter and Facebook accounts, SYFY is ready for a mutha truckin' good time with its acquisition of Dallas and Robo, starring John Cena and Kat Dennings! Beginning Saturday, August 8 at midnight-ish ET/PT, the 8-episode half-hour adult animated comedy will begin its first ever cable run during the network's TZGZ late-night animation block. Episodes will also be available on SYFY On Demand. Dallas and Robo is a space-trucking comedy following the mis-adventures of foul-mouthed ex-stock car racer Dallas (Dennings) and her ass-kickin' artificially intelligent good buddy, Robo (Cena). Together, they navigate their way around cannibal bikers, rival space truckers and vending machine burritos as they try to make a buck in the seedy world of interplanetary big rigging.

TZGZ is SYFY's growing late-night adult animation block (TZGZ comes after SYFY, duh). It's on Saturdays at midnight-ish because, just come hang whenever... we're around. It's perfect for when you're feeling chill, funny and maybe even have the munchies. We've got animated comedy with a genre twist and of course, a High Wizard to keep you company. What else do you need? Oh, a list of programming. Sure, HERE you go.

Additionally, on Friday, July 24 at 9PM ET/6PM PT, SYFY's TZGZ will... drum roll please... present four new original series during a fun and fast-paced Comic-Con@Home panel. Creators and celebrity voices of Devil May Care, Wild Life, Magical Girl Friendship Squad and Hell Den will give the 411 on each series and show exclusive sneak peeks. 

Following the overwhelming global fandom around the recent debut of the Apple TV+ shorts Fraggle Rock: Rock On!, Apple announced a new partnership with The Jim Henson Company to reboot the beloved classic series Fraggle Rock. The new Fraggle Rock series will be reimagined as a global Apple Original series for new generations of fans to enjoy together on Apple TV+. Produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with New Regency, the series will reunite the original stars - Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley and Uncle Travelling Matt - for new songs and adventures, with the same spirit as the classic.

Fraggle Rock: Rock On! is now streaming for free on Apple TV+, with new mini-episodes featuring award-winning special guests Alanis Morissette, Common, Jason Mraz, Neil Patrick Harris, Tiffany Haddish and Ziggy Marley. The series aims to show everyone how we are all connected through friendship with new stories and favorite Fraggle songs from the same beloved characters of the classic '80s series. The project is produced by The Jim Henson Company in accordance with the COVID-19 "Safer at Home" guidelines, and is all shot on iPhone 11 phones from the homes of the production team and individual artists from all over the US. Fraggle Rock: Rock On! is executive produced by Halle Stanford and John Tartaglia.

The new Fraggle Rock series will join an award-winning lineup of today's most trusted franchises in kids and family programming, including the Emmy-nominated, Common Sense and Parents Choice Award-winning Helpsters and Ghostwriter from Sesame Workshop; and the Emmy-nominated, Annie and DGA Award-winning Snoopy in Space from Peanuts. With families around the world staying at home, Apple is featuring curated collections of TV shows, movies, music, podcasts, books, apps and games for families and kids of all ages. These collections have been created to help parents inspire and entertain their kids and to assist teachers who are exploring creative ways to facilitate remote learning.

Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz, Jillian Bell and their Bless the Harts castmates unite for virtual table read to benefit Feeding America(r) Monday, June 1 @ 6:00 pm ET/3:00 pm PT on the Animation Domination YouTube Channel! Co-creators and executive producers Emily Spivey, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, along with cast members Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz, Jillian Bell and guest stars Ken Jeong, David Herman and Jeremy Rowley to read an all-new episode of Bless the Harts coming this fall to Fox! Join the laughter Monday, June 1 @ 6:00 pm ET/3:00 pm PT on the Animation Domination YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/animationonfox

The 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards were last night in Los Angeles on NBC. Here were the winners for the television portion (in BOLD), along with the list of the nominees.

Best Television Series - Musical Or Comedy
Barry, HBO
Fleabag, Amazon
The Kominsky Method, Netflix
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amazon Prime Video
The Politician, Netflix

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Kirsten Dunst, On Becoming a God in Central Florida (Showtime)
Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll (Netflix)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag (Amazon)

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Bill Hader, Barry (HBO)
Ben Platt, The Politician (Netflix)
Paul Rudd, Living with Yourself(Netflix)
Ramy Youssef, Ramy (Hulu)

Best Television Series - Drama
Big Little Lies, HBO
The Crown, Netflix
Killing Eve, BBC America
The Morning Show, Apple TV+
Succession, HBO

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series - Drama
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Olivia Colman, The Crown (Netflix)
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve (BBC America)
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies (HBO)
Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series - Drama
Brian Cox, Succession (HBO)
Kit Harrington, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA Network)
Tobias Menzies, The Crown (Netflix)
Billy Porter, Pose (FX)

Best Television Limited Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Catch-22, Hulu
Chernobyl, HBO
Fosse/Verdon, FX
The Loudest Voice, Showtime
Unbelievable, Netflix

Best Performance By An Actress In A Limited Series Or A Motion Picture Made For Television
Kailtyn Dever, Unbelievable (Netflix)
Joey King, The Act (Hulu)
Helen Mirren, Catherine the Great (HBO)
Merrit Weaver, Unbelievable (Netflix)
Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon (FX)

Best Performance By An Actor In A Limited Series Or A Motion Picture Made For Television
Christopher Abbott, Catch-22 (Hulu)
Sacha Baron Cohen, The Spy (Netflix)
Russell Crowe, The Loudest Voice (Showtime)
Jared Harris, Chernobyl (HBO)
Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verson (FX)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Series, Limited Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Patricia Arquette, The Act (Hulu)
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown (Netflix)
Toni Collette, Unbelievable (Netflix)
Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies (HBO)
Emily Watson, Chernobyl (HBO)

Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Series, Limited Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Kieran Culkin, Succession (HBO)
Andrew Scott, Fleabag (Amazon)
Stellan Skarsgård, Chernobyl (HBO)
Henry Winkler, Barry (HBO)

Fox Sports presents NFL NFC Divisional Playoff coverage live in primetime from Lambeau Field, as the Green Bay Packers host the NFC Wildcard Champions Seattle Seahawks. Coverage of the NFC Divisional Playoff airs Sunday, Jan. 12 from 6:00-10:00 PM ET/3:00-7:00 PM PT LIVE to all Time Zones on Fox. Following that coverage, Fox will air all-new episodes of two animated comedies. First up is Bob's Burgers at 10:00PM ET/7:00PM PT LIVE to all Time Zones. In the episode, Gene gets kicked out of the Ocean Avenue Hifi Emporium, but Louise takes matters into her own hands to defend Gene's honor in the all-new "Drumforgiven" episode with guest stars Bobcat Goldthwait, Laura Silverman and Sarah Silverman.

Then after that, it is the season finale of Bless the Harts at 10:30PM ET/7:30PM PT LIVE to all Time Zones. In the finale, in order to prove that she's not afraid of marriage, Jenny decides to take things to the next level with Wayne. Meanwhile, Betty attempts to expose Crystalynn (guest voice Mary Steenburgen) as a liar after seeing her claim to have encountered a strangler on a popular crime show in the all-new "Tying the Not" season finale episode.

Fox Entertainment has ordered a second season of the new animated series Bless the Harts, to air during the 2020-2021 season. With animation serving as a cornerstone of Fox programming, the network expanded its Sunday night brand this fall with the introduction of a new original voice and concept in Bless the Harts. This news marks the second piece of good news for Fox, as new drama Prodigal Son got a full first season order. Created and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Emily Spivey and featuring a voice cast of comedy all-stars, including Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell, Ike Barinholtz and Kumail Nanjiani, the half-hour animated comedy follows the Harts, a Southern family that is always broke, and forever struggling to make ends meet. They one day hope to achieve the American dream, but they're already rich - in friends, family and laughter.

In the series, Jenny Hart (Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Kristen Wiig) is a single mother supporting her family working as a waitress in the small town of Greenpoint, NC. While Jenny's the head of her family, she's often at odds with, or scheming with, her lottery scratcher-obsessed mother, Betty (Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Maya Rudolph), and her witty, creative daughter, Violet (Emmy Award nominee Jillian Bell). Jenny's doting, eternal optimist boyfriend of 10 years, Wayne Edwards (Ike Barinholtz), is the love of her life and a surrogate father to Violet. He's a charming dreamer who may never hit the big time, but he's not going to give up the fight. Jenny's even got a bit of divine power in her corner, as Jesus (Academy Award nominee Kumail Nanjiani) regularly appears to her while she waits tables at neighborhood restaurant The Last Supper. In the end, the Harts may not have much, but they may just have everything they need.

Actor Bill Macy, who was best known for his role as Walter Findlay in Maude, has died. He died on October 17 in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Macy was 97.

Macy's early television credits included the role of a cab driver in The Edge of Night in 1966 and an appearance in N.Y.P.D. in 1969. He played a police officer in the All in the Family episode "Archie Sees a Mugging." He first appeared as Walter Findlay in the All in the Family episode titled "Maude" on March 11, 1972.

He starred as Walter Findlay, the long-suffering husband of Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur), in the 1972-1978 CBS sitcom Maude. Walter Findlay was the fourth husband of Maude. He was the owner of Findlay's Friendly Appliances. The Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin created series ran for six seasons and 151 episodes. Maude also starred Adrienne Barbeau, Conrad Bain, Rue McClanahan, Esther Rolle (1972-1974), J. Pat O'Malley (1975-1977) and Marlene Warfield (1977-1978).

Macy worked again with Norman Lear in the short-lived 1979 CBS sitcom Hanging In. He played Louis "Lou" Harper, a former professional football player turned president of the fictional Braddock University. The series ran for just four episodes. It also starred Barbara Rhodes, Dennis Burkley, Nedra Volz and Darian Mathias.

He starred as Max Basner in the short-lived 1987 NBC sitcom Nothing in Common, which was based on the 1986 movie of the same name that starred Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason. Max was the unemployed father of David Basner (Todd Waring). The series also starred Wendy Kilbourne, Mona Lyden, Bill Applebaum, Elizabeth Bennett, Patrick Richwood, Billy Wirth, Allan Kent and Julie Paris.

Macy appeared as one of the residents of the Florida retirement community where Jerry's parents lived in the Seinfeld episodes "The Cadillac" and "The Shower Head." Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Oh Madeline, The Love Boat, One Big Family, The Facts of Life, The Famous Teddy Z, Dave's World, Can't Hurry Love, Ned and Stacey, The Home Court, The John Larroquette Show, Something So Right, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, Norm, My Wife and Kids, Stacked, How I Met Your Mother, My Name Is Earl, Back to You and True Jackson, VP.

Some of his television drama guest appearances included Hotel, St. Elsewhere, Tales from the Darkside, Hardcastle and McCormick, L.A. Law, Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote, Father Dowling Mysteries, Matlock, Diagnosis Murder, NYPD Blue, Chicago Hope, Viper, Jack & Jill, Touched by an Angel, ER, Las Vegas and Hawthorne.

He appeared as the jury foreman in the 1967 film The Producers. He played Stan Fox, the co-inventor of the "Opti-grab", in The Jerk in 1979. He starred as the head television writer Sy Benson in 1982's My Favorite Year. Some of his other film credits included Oh! Calcutta!, The Late Show, Serial, Movers & Shakers, Bad Medicine, Me Myself & I, Surviving Christmas, The Holiday and Mr. Woodcock (as Mr. Woodcock's father).

Macy was an original cast member of the 1969-1972 Off-Broadway sensation Oh! Calcutta!, performing in the show from 1969 to 1971. He played Monte / Mute Physician in the 1972 film Oh! Calcutta!.

He is survived by his wife, Samantha Harper Macy. They were married in 1975.

Mr. Macy was very good as Walter Findlay in Maude. He was always a welcome presence in his many other television and film roles. We thank him for the many laughs and entertainment he brought us during his long career. He will be greatly missed.

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

Antenna TV remembered Bill Macy with a Maude marathon on Saturday (October 19) from 1-10pm. The series airs weekdays at 6pm ET / 3pm PT.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're only a month into the fall season and we've already got our first cancellation, as well as a renewal of another new series that hasn't exactly been a breakout hit. We're also hearing of a surprising DVD release of a very old sitcom. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

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

Fox is last up in our check-in of returning sitcom slates. Fox is...well, certainly in a transitional state. The network is still rebuilding its image after Disney's merger with 20th Century Fox, which drastically altered the network's original content. So, needless to say, the sitcom slate has been a bit light recently, and that continues this season. Gone are the days of the mid-2010s, when you could make an argument that Fox had the best sitcom roster of all of network TV with shows like New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Last Man on Earth, and The Mindy Project, as well as short-lived but beloved series like Enlisted and The Mick.

Returning sitcoms: The only returning sitcoms that made Fox's fall schedule were its animated slate. The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers and Family Guy are all back, with the interesting caveat that Bob's later-seasons ratings spike has convinced Fox to move it to the 9pm anchor slot, while the declining Family Guy moves to the lead-out role at 9:30. Still, the block as a whole continues to provide solid and consistent numbers for Fox. The caveat, though, is that they're all 20th Century Fox properties - which, remember, is no longer run by the same company as the Fox network, but by Disney. It's possible Disney sees the value in moving them to a Disney property, so whether or not they're long for the Fox world remains to be seen. Shoved to mid-season is Fox's only returning live action comedy, Last Man Standing. Last Man did very well on Fridays last season, but well...it's also a 20th Century Fox property.

New sitcoms: There's only one new sitcom on Fox's fall schedule, and it's an animated comedy entitled Bless the Harts. The series follows a lower-class family living in the South and could make a good companion to The Simpsons and Bob's Burgers.

The bottom line: Fox is definitely in a transitional state right now, and that transition emphasizes reality series and sports and less scripted content, so aside from the solid block of animated comedies, sitcoms seem to be a second thought on the new Fox. We'll see if that continues going forward, but as of now, the days of FOX being a comedy haven are certainly long gone.

The Buchmans are back! Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt reprise their roles in the Sony Pictures Television-produced limited event series Mad About You on Wednesday, November 20 when the first six episodes drop ad-free exclusively on Spectrum's On Demand platform. The final six episodes will release on Wednesday, December 18. The series will explore the fertile ground of modern marriage through the eyes of the Buchmans as newly minted empty-nesters after dropping their unpredictable, hard-to-control daughter Mabel (Abby Quinn) off at college. The original sitcom ran for seven seasons from 1992-1999 and won multiple Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) awards. All 164 original episodes are now available free on-demand for Spectrum subscribers.

Mad About You is produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Comedy Dynamics. Peter Tolan serves as showrunner, executive producer and writer. Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser executive produce alongside Brian Volk-Weiss, Michael Pelmont and Matthew Ochacher. Danny Jacobson, who co-created the show with Reiser will serve as an executive consultant. Additional cast includes: Original cast members John Pankow and Richard Kind as Ira Buchman and Dr. Mark Devanow, and Abby Quinn as Mabel Buchman.

For Disneyphiles everywhere, Freeform will air beloved Disney classics from Disney-Pixar's Toy Story to Disney's The Jungle Book (2016) and everything in between during the month of September as they celebrate "30 Days of Disney." Each week (Monday through Friday) in September will be themed to highlight the best of Disney villains, singalongs, pirates and sheroes. Each weekend will also be jam-packed with more of your favorite Disney films.

Sept. 2-Sept. 6 is "Villains Week," featuring such classics as Disney's Maleficent, Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Disney's The Lion King (1994).
Sept. 9-Sept. 13 is all about Pirates and adventures with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and more of Jack Sparrow's escapades.
Sept. 16-Sept. 20 is "Singalong Week" and will have you belting out celebrated Disney songs from Disney's The Princess and the Frog, High School Musical, Newsies: The Broadway Musical and more. Selected movies will feature on-screen lyrics to help you immerse yourself in your own musical experience.
Sept. 23-Sept. 27 fans can root for their favorite Sheroes in such movies as Disney's Moana and Disney's Zootopia, among more of your Disney faves.

Freeform will give viewers an exciting behind-the-scenes look at the new lands at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in Southern California with a two-hour special, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Adventure Awaits, premiering Sunday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. EDT. Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, the immersive and exclusive television event will allow audiences to explore the epic new lands and learn more about how this new planet of Batuu came to life. With celebrity guests including Kaley Cuoco, Keegan-Michael Key, Jay Leno, Sarah Hyland, Miles Brown and more, Walt Disney Imagineers and Disney Cast Members share how they helped bring Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge to life with fascinating insider details. The special will follow Neil Patrick Harris as he meets up with Keegan-Michael Key for some laughs in Oga's Cantina and takes a tour of Batuu. Sarah Hyland learns about the tensions between the First Order and the Resistance and creates her own droid at the Droid Depot. Jay Leno explores Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, inside and out, and Kaley Cuoco takes a special sneak peek inside the incredible upcoming attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Get ready to hear your favorite stars when a top-notch roster of guest voices line up this season for the return of Fox's Animation Domination, beginning Sunday, Sept. 29, on The Simpsons at 8:00PM ET/PT, all-new series Bless the Harts at 8:30 PM ET/PT, Bob's Burgers at its new time of 9:00PM ET/PT and Family Guy at its new later time of 9:30PM ET/PT.

The 31st season of The Simpsons, the longest-running primetime scripted show in television history, will feature a multitude of guest voices, including singer, songwriter, record producer and pianist John Legend, his wife, supermodel and author Chrissy Teigen (Lip Sync Battle), and Zach Woods (Silicon Valley). Additional guest voices this season include Fortune Feimster (Life in Pieces), Asia Kate Dillon (John Wick 3, Billions), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Scott Bakula (NCIS: New Orleans) and directors Joseph and Anthony Russo (Avengers: Endgame). As previously announced, John Mulaney (Saturday Night Live), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall also are heard this season.

Created and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Emily Spivey (The Last Man on Earth, Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live) and featuring an all-star voice cast of comedy stars, including Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell and Ike Barinholtz, Bless the Harts is a new half-hour animated comedy that follows the Harts, a Southern family that is always broke, and forever struggling to make ends meet. They one day hope to achieve the American dream, but they're already rich - in friends, family and laughter. Notable recurring guest voices throughout the first season include Fortune Feimster, Holly Hunter, Mary Steenburgen and Drew Tarver.

Recently nominated for its eighth Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, the fan-favorite series Bob's Burgers returns for a momentous 10th season, and the beloved Belchers are back, along with some notable guest stars. Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) returns as Linda's sister, Gayle, in this season's premiere episode; Sarah Silverman and Laura Silverman return as The Pesto Twins; and Jenny Slate returns as Tammy Larsen. This season will also feature returning guest voices from Bless the Harts' Jillian Bell, Billy Eichner (The Lion King 2019), Jim Gaffigan, Max Greenfield, Kathryn Hahn, Thomas Lennon and Damon Wayans Jr.

Cult-favorite animated series Family Guy returns for a 17th season with new adventures and hijinks for the Griffin Clan and all their friends in the town of Quahog, RI. In the season premiere, guest voices Bryan Cranston and Niecy Nash return as Peter's (Seth MacFarlane) bosses. Additional guest voices this season include singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, Mike Judge, Hank Azaria, Danny Trejo, Judy Greer, Chris Parnell, Christopher Meloni and Nat Faxon.

Fox has set the fall premiere dates for its new and returning series. Kicking off the new season, the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards(R) will air LIVE coast-to-coast from the Microsoft Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 22 (8:00-11:00 PM ET live/5:00-8:00 PM PT live). Hit drama 9-1-1 returns for its third season on Monday, Sept. 23 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, followed by the series premiere of crime drama Prodigal Son at 9:00 PM ET/PT, starring Tom Payne, Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominee Michael Sheen, Bellamy Young and Lou Diamond Phillips. All-new Tuesdays begin Sept. 24, with the sixth and final season premiere of Empire at 9:00 PM ET/PT, following the Season Three return of The Resident at 8:00PM ET/PT. On Wednesday, Sept. 25, television's #1 new series, The Masked Singer, returns with a special two-hour season premiere from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PM. Thursday Night Football, with NFL Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Michael Strahan headlining the pregame show, returns Sept. 26 at 7:30 PM-CC ET live/4:30 PM-CC PT live, as the Green Bay Packers host the Philadelphia Eagles.

Animation Domination returns Sunday, Sept. 29, with the premieres of The Simpsons unprecedented 31st season at 8:00 PM ET/PT; the all-new animated comedy Bless the Harts at 8:30PM ET/PT, featuring the voices of Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell and Ike Barinholtz; the 10th season of Bob's Burgers at 9:00 PM ET/PT, in its new regular time period; and the 17th season of Family Guy at 9:30PM ET/PT, in its new regular time period. The series premiere of new drama Almost Family, starring Brittany Snow, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Emily Osment and Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton, will launch Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 9:00PM ET/PT in week two, following the time period premiere of The Masked Singer from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT.

WWE's flagship program, WWE's Smackdown Live, debuts Friday, Oct. 4 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. The weekly, two-hour live event will air 52 weeks a year, offering fans a unique combination of edge-of-your-seat action, unpredictable drama and world-class athleticism. WWE's Smackdown Live has helped launch the careers of pop-culture icons Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, John Cena, Undertaker, Triple H, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Bella Twins.

FX Networks announced the fall premiere dates for the hit biker drama Mayans M.C., the acclaimed Mr Inbetween, the ninth installment of the American Horror Story franchise, American Horror Story: 1984, and the 14th season of comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The premiere dates are as follows:

Mayans M.C. - Season Two Premieres Tuesday, September 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX
Mr Inbetween - Season Two Debuts Thursday, September 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX
American Horror Story: 1984 - Ninth Installment Premieres Wednesday, September 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - 14th Season Begins Wednesday, September 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FXX

The 2018-19 season just started this week but Fox is thinking about 2019-20 already. Fox has given a straight-to-series order to Bless the Harts, a half-hour animated comedy featuring the voices of Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids, Saturday Night Live), Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Maya Rudolph (The Good Place, Bridesmaids), Emmy Award nominee Jillian Bell (Saturday Night Live, Eastbound & Down) and Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, Blockers). Created and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Emily Spivey (The Last Man on Earth, Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live), 13 episodes of Bless the Harts have been ordered, which will air during the 2019-2020 season.

The animated comedy follows a group of Southerners who are always broke as a joke, and struggling for the American dream of status and wealth. What they don't realize is that they're already rich, in friends, family and laughter.

CBS All Access, CBS' digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, announced that all eight episodes of the second season of its original comedy series No Activity will be available to stream beginning Thursday, Nov. 22. No Activity's second season debut marks the first time CBS All Access has released an entire season of an original series at once. Patrick Brammall and Tim Meadows will reprise their roles as Detectives Nick Cullen and Judd Tolbeck, two low-level cops who have spent far too much time in a car together. They are joined by returning guest stars Jake Johnson as Detective Haldeman, Sunita Mani as SDPD Dispatch's Fatima, Jason Mantzoukas as haphazard criminal Marco, Amy Sedaris as SDPD Dispatch's mother hen, Janice, and Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons as Leon, the internal affairs investigator with a fondness for deep sea fishing.

New guest stars joining them this season include Jessica Alba, Chris Gethard, Max Greenfield, Joe Manganiello, Cristin Milioti and Nasim Pedrad, among others. Season two of No Activity finds us back in Car 27 with Detectives Cullen and Tolbeck on a new stakeout. Meanwhile, the SDPD is rocked by a massive corruption scandal, and the culprit might be close to home. The first season of No Activity is currently available to stream exclusively on CBS All Access.