SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

SitcomsOnline Digest: Casting Details for Netflix Good Times Reboot; Mayim Bialik Out as Jeopardy! Host

 Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we are learning new details about the Good Times reboot, getting some Jeopardy! hosting news, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• We've got casting details for the animated Good Times reboot on Netflix. (The Hollywood Reporter)
• Many have suspected this for a while, but Mayim Bialik is officially out as the host of the syndicated Jeopardy! (NPR)
• Bill Maher doesn't think that Archie Bunker would be welcome on TV today. (Deadline)
• Maher also talked to Ray Romano last week, and if you were waiting for an Everybody Loves Raymond reboot, "it's out of the question." (Deadline)
• But don't worry, Brad Garrett has a new role, as a series regular on ABC's Not Dead Yet. (TheWrap)
• America's Most Wanted is returning to Fox, and this time it is with original host John Walsh. (Variety)
• Actor Andre Braugher, of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, has died at age 61. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (DECEMBER 17 - DECEMBER 22)

• There is a binge of Christmas episodes all this weekend on Catchy Comedy.
• The Saturday Night Live annual Christmas episode airs tonight at 11:30.
• Fox has new Christmas episodes of their animated comedies on Sunday night.
• Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic airs Thursday night on CBS.

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:00 PM

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Labels: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Everybody Loves Raymond, Good Times, Jeopardy, Netflix, Not Dead Yet, SitcomsOnline Digest

Remembering Andre Braugher of Brooklyn Nine-Nine; Apple TV+ Comedy Palm Royale Premieres in March

Emmy-winning actor Andre Braugher, who starred as Captain Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, has died. He died from lung cancer on December 11, having been diagnosed with it a few months prior. Mr. Braugher was 61.

Braugher starred as Captain Raymond Holt on the 2013-2021 police comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It aired for five seasons on Fox from 2014 to 2018 before moving to NBC for seasons six to eight from 2019 to 2021. Created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur, it revolves around seven New York City Police Department (NYPD) detectives who are adjusting to life under their new commanding officer, the serious and stern Captain Raymond Holt. Captain Holt is the captain of the 99th precinct who takes pride in being the NYPD's first black gay police captain. Braugher was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020. He won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2014 and 2016. He appeared in a crossover episode with New Girl in 2016.

In 2019, he played James Evans in ABC's Live in Front of a Studio Audience: 'All in the Family' and 'Good Times'.

He starred as Detective Frank Pendleton for six seasons (1993-1998) on the NBC police drama Homicide: Life on the Street. Detective Frank Pendleton is a self-righteous, fiery, unyielding, Jesuit-educated police detective. Braugher won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1998. He left the series after the sixth season but returned for the reunion television film Homicide: The Movie in 2000.

Braugher starred as Dr. Ben Gideon on the 2000-2001 ABC medical drama Gideon's Crossing. He starred as Detective Marcellus Washington on the 2002-2004 CBS crime drama Hack. He starred as Owen Thoreau Jr. on th 2009-2011 TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age. He played Captain Marcus Chaplin on the 2012-2013 ABC military drama Last Resort. In 2022, He starred as Ri'Chard Lane in the sixth season of The Good Fight.

In 2006, he starred as Nick Atwater in the mini-series Thief for FX Networks, winning a second Emmy for his performance. He starred as General George W. Mancheck in the 2008 A&E science fiction miniseries The Andromeda Strain.

He played Detective Winston Blake, a young detective assigned to Kojak's (Telly Savalas) command, in five Kojak television movies in 1989 and 1990. Some of his television guest appearances included Law & Order, The Practice, House (4 episodes), Miami Medical and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (6 episodes as Bayard Ellis).

Braugher's first film role was in the 1989 film Glory as Thomas Searles, a free, educated black man from the North who joins the first black regiment in the Union Army. Some of his other film credits included Primal Fear (1996), City of Angels (1998), Frequency (2000), Duets (2000), Poseidon (2006), The Mist (2007), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Salt (2010), The Gambler (2014) and She Said (2022). He received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his role as Benjamin O. Davis Jr. in the 1995 HBO television movie The Tuskegee Airmen.

Mr. Braugher was a talented and versatile actor. He was more known for his dramatic work, but he was able to show his comedy chops as Captain Raymond Holt for eight seasons on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us during his career. He will be greatly missed.

We also remember actor Ryan O'Neal. He starred as Bobby Tannen on Good Sports. He died at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, on December 8. His cause of death was congestive heart failure, with cardiomyopathy listed as a contributing factor. Mr. O'Neal was 82.

O'Neal starred as Bobby Tannen with his then-partner Farrah Fawcett on the short-lived 1991 CBS sitcom Good Sports. The series is about Bobby Tannen, a once-famous former football player for the Green Bay Packers gone to seed and Gayle Roberts (Fawcett), an ex-Miss America, as mismatched anchors on an all-sports cable network called ASCN (All Sports Cable Network). The cast included Lane Smith, Brian Doyle-Murray, Cleavant Derricks, Christine Dunford, Paul Feig and William Katt.

He made his first television appearance guest appearance in 1960 in an episode of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Bachelor Father, Leave it to Beaver (pictured above) and My Three Sons. He appeared as himself in two episodes The Larry Sanders Show in 1995.

O'Neal starred as Tal Garret on the 1962-1963 NBC western drama Empire. He starred as Rodney Harrington on the 1964-1969 ABC primetime soap opera Peyton Place. He had a semi-recurring role as Robert Roberts, Jr. in six episodes of the 2000-2001 TNT drama Bull. In 2003, he starred as Jerrold Fox, the father of Kate Fox (Alicia Silverstone), on the NBC romantic comedy-drama Miss Match. He had a recurring role as Max Keenan, the father of Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel), in 24 episodes of Bones from 2006 to 2017.

Some of his other drama guest appearances included The Untouchables (uncredited), General Electric Theater, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Laramie, Two Faces West, Westinghouse Playhouse (3 episodes), The Virginian, Perry Mason, Wagon Train, Desperate Housewives and 90210 (3 episodes as Spence Montgomery).

O'Neal starred as Oliver Barrett IV in Love Story (1970). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for the role. Some of his other film credits included What's Up, Doc? (1972), Paper Moon (1973), Barry Lyndon (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), The Driver (1978), Oliver's Story (1978), The Main Event (1979), Irreconcilable Differences (1984), Chances Are (1989) and Faithful (1996).

Mr. O'Neal was one of the most popular stars in the 1970s. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be sorely missed.

Apple TV+ unveiled a first-look at Palm Royale, the highly anticipated Palm Beach-set comedy series stars Emmy and Academy Award nominee Kristen Wiig leading a renowned ensemble cast. Oscar and Emmy winners Laura Dern and Allison Janney join Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Amber Chardae Robinson, Mindy Cohn, Julia Duffy and Kaia Gerber. With extra special guest star turns by the legendary Bruce Dern and the iconic, multiple-award winning Carol Burnett. Palm Royale makes its global debut on Apple TV+, premiering the first three episodes on March 20, 2024 followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 8.

Palm Royale is a true underdog story that follows Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) as she endeavors to break into Palm Beach high society. As Maxine attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots, Palm Royale asks the same question that still baffles us today: "How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?" Set during the powder keg year of 1969, Palm Royale is a testament to every outsider fighting for their chance to truly belong. Loosely based on the novel Mr. and Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel and produced for Apple TV+ by Apple Studios, Palm Royale is written, executive produced and showrun by Abe Sylvia for Aunt Sylvia's Moving Picture Company, executive produced by Laura Dern and Jayme Lemons for Jaywalker Pictures, Kristen Wiig, Katie O’Connell Marsh, Tate Taylor and John Norris for Wyolah Films, Sharr White, and Sheri Holman and Boat Rocker. The series is directed by Taylor, Sylvia, Claire Scanlon, and Stephanie Laing.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:15 PM

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Labels: Apple TV+, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fox, NBC, Obits, Palm Royale

Peacock Renews Killing It for Season 2; Jack McBrayer's Kindness Show on Apple TV+

Peacock announced today the second season renewal of critically-acclaimed comedy series Killing It from co-showrunners / executive producers Dan Goor (Brooklyn Nine-Nine Co-Creator) and Luke Del Tredici (Brooklyn Nine-Nine Executive Producer). The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Craig Robinson (The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) will return for all-new season, further expanding on Craig's quest to achieve the American dream. The series is a comedy about class, capitalism and one man's quest to achieve the American dream. And also about hunting really big snakes.   

Apple TV+ is excited to share an all-new video of Jack McBrayer and children learning how to create a bird house just ahead of the original Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show special and four original shorts premiering globally on Friday, June 24. In the special, Jack and his friends will set out to solve a kindness mystery. Who's behind the random acts of kindness popping up all over town? The four shorts feature Jack interviewing real kids about their extraordinary acts of kindness, declaring them official Kindness Ambassadors in their own hometowns.

Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show is co-created and executive produced by Emmy Award nominee Jack McBrayer and Daytime Emmy Award winner Angela C. Santomero. The series, special and shorts are produced by Emmy Award-winning 9 Story Media Group with animation by its Oscar-nominated studio Brown Bag Films. Jax Media also produces. Wendy Harris and Vince Commisso serve as executive producers alongside showrunner and Emmy Award nominee, Guy Toubes. Tony Hernandez and John Skidmore executive produce for Jax Media. Junlei Li, the Saul Zaentz senior lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, serves as the kindness and human connection expert on the series through Apple TV+’s changemakers initiative.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Apple TV+, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Killing It, Peacock

HBO's Barry Season 3 Premieres April 24; Melissa Fumero Joins Blockbuster Comedy

The Emmy® winning dark comedy series Barry, starring Emmy® winner Bill Hader, returns for its eight-episode third season Sunday, April 24 from 10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Alec Berg (HBO's Silicon Valley”) and Hader (Saturday Night Live) are co-creators, executive producers, directors and writers. Desperate to leave his violent past behind in favor of his newfound passion, Barry (Hader) is attempting to untangle himself from the world of contract killing and fully immerse himself in acting. But getting out is messy. While Barry has eliminated many of the external factors that pushed him towards violence, he soon discovers they weren't the only forces at play. What is it about his own psyche that led him to become a killer in the first place? Season three finds Barry and the other characters trying to make the right choice.

The Emmy® nominated and winning cast regulars include: Stephen Root (HBO's Perry Mason”) as Monroe Fuches, Barry's former handler currently in hiding; Sarah Goldberg (Hindsight) as Sally, Barry's girlfriend in the midst of launching her first TV series; Anthony Carrigan (Gotham) as Noho Hank, head of the Chechen mob in LA; and Emmy® winner Henry Winkler (Arrested Development) as Gene Cousineau, Barry's former acting teacher who is in mourning over the loss of his girlfriend Detective Janice Moss. Returning for season three as a cast regular is Sarah Burns (HBO's Enlightened) as Detective Mae Dunn. Returning recurring cast includes D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place) as Natalie Greer and Michael Irby (HBO's True Detective; Mayans M.C.) as Cristobal.

The first two seasons of Barry received a total of thirty Emmy® nominations and six Emmys® including: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Bill Hader); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Henry Winkler); Outstanding Sound Editing For a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation; and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Melissa Fumero is set to star in the new Netflix comedy series Blockbuster. Fumero to star opposite Randall Park (Fresh off the Boat) in the new workplace comedy from creator Vanessa Ramos, writers/executive producers David Caspe and Jackie Clarke, and executive producers John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment. Netflix announced that Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) has joined the cast of its new series, Blockbuster, a single-cam workplace comedy set in the last remaining Blockbuster video store. Additional cast members will be announced soon. Fumero will play Eliza, a dedicated mother whose marriage to her high school sweetheart is on the rocks. She left Harvard after one semester to start a family and now works at Blockbuster alongside Timmy (Randall Park) as his trusty number two...and maybe more. Blockbuster is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. The series is created by Vanessa Ramos (Superstore, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) with David Caspe (Happy Endings, Black Monday) and Jackie Clarke (Superstore, Happy Endings) also serving as writers/executive producers. John Davis and John Fox also executive produce for Davis Entertainment (Jungle Cruise). Netflix has ordered 10 episodes. An ensemble comedy that takes place in the last Blockbuster Video in America, that explores what it takes - and more specifically who it takes - for a small business to succeed against all odds.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Barry, Blockbuster, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, HBO, Netflix

SitcomsOnline Digest: Futurama Gets New Season; Early Edition Reboot Moves Forward at CBS

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing of an animated adult comedy making a return, a reboot of the game show Lingo, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Futurama has been revived/renewed for a new season on Hulu, but the voice of Bender appears to be missing (unless something changes, anyway). (Deadline)
• Fox has a meteorologist comedy (it's a new idea at least) called Cindy Snow, which is not a spinoff of Three's Company. (Deadline)
• Early Edition is a step closer to making a return at CBS, with a female in the lead role. (Variety)
• With the sudden burst in popularity of the game Wordle, CBS has decided to give the game show Lingo a reboot, with RuPaul as host. (Hollywood Reporter)
• It seems that toxic workplaces have been a theme among daytime talk shows, and now Dr. Phil is the one being accused. (Deadline)
• Comedy Central has acquired the rights to Brooklyn Nine-Nine. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (FEBRUARY 12 - FEBRUARY 18)

• Decades has a binge that features That's My Mama and the Redd Foxx sitcom The Royal Family this weekend.
• Bel-Air debuts on Peacock on Sunday.
• Prime Video has a new season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Friday.

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:00 PM

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Labels: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Early Edition, Futurama, Lingo, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Royal Family

Comedy Central Acquires Brooklyn Nine-Nine; Apple TV+ Orders Sunny Starring Rashida Jones and Sets Premiere Date for Roar with Nicole Kidman

Comedy Central welcomes Brooklyn Nine-Nine to its lineup, after acquiring the comedy series from NBCUniversal Global Distribution. Beginning Sunday, February 20, all eight seasons of the critically-acclaimed sitcom will start airing on Comedy Central. Brooklyn Nine-Nine joins Seinfeld, Schitt's Creek, The Office and Friends on Comedy Central, making the brand a one-stop shop for comedy's biggest hits. The series will premiere with a kick-off marathon on Sunday, February 20th at 5:00 p.m. through 12:00 a.m. ET/PT, with additional episodes of the sitcom to begin airing on Comedy Central on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon (between 1-4pm) and Fridays in late fringe (10pm-12am) starting with Season 1.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine follows the exploits of hilarious Det. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and his stoically ever-professional Capt. Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher), along with their diverse, lovable colleagues as they protect the NYPD's 99th Precinct. Rounding out the ensemble is Sgt. Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), who has a passion for organization and a weakness for dork dancing; Lt. Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews), a mountain of a man whose most powerful muscle is his sweetheart; Jake's loyal best friend, Det. Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio), and the incredibly secretive, tough-as-nails Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz). Also part of the Nine-Nine are veteran officers Det. Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller) and Det. Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker), whose only skill as police officers is their ability to make a passable pot of coffee.

Apple TV+ announced a series order for Sunny, a new, 10-episode darkly comedic half-hour drama from A24 created by Katie Robbins (The Affair, The Last Tycoon, Hedy Lamarr) that will star Emmy Award-nominee, multi-hyphenate Rashida Jones (On the Rocks, blackAF, Quincy), who also serves as executive producer. Sunny is a darkly comedic drama starring Rashida Jones as 'Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As "consolation" she's given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband's electronics company. Though at first Suzie resents Sunny's attempts to fill the void in her life, gradually they develop an unexpected friendship, as together they uncover the dark truth of what really happened to Suzie's family, becoming dangerously enmeshed in a world Suzie never knew existed.

Apple TV+ also revealed the premiere date and a first look at the highly anticipated female-driven anthology series, Roar, which will debut globally with all eight episodes on Friday, April 15, 2022. Based on a book of short stories by Cecelia Ahern, the series is the first to be released under Roar creators and co-showrunners Carly Mensch and Liz Flahive's (GLOW) overall deal with Apple TV+, and features an all-star cast including Academy, Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos), who also executive produces; Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo; six-time Emmy Award-nominee Issa Rae; Emmy Award winner Merritt Wever; SAG Award nominee Alison Brie; three-time Emmy Award-nominee Betty Gilpin; and Meera Syal, Fivel Stewart and Kara Hayward. Roar offers an insightful, poignant, and sometimes hilarious portrait of what it means to be a woman today. Featuring a unique blend of magical realism, familiar domestic and professional scenarios, and futuristic worlds, these eight stories mirror the dilemmas of ordinary women in accessible yet surprising ways. How they emerge from their respective journeys speaks to the resiliency that exists within themselves, and with all women.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Apple TV+, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Comedy Central, Friends, Roar, Schitt's Creek, Seinfeld, Sunny, The Office

New Baking Series Hosted by Two Comedy All-Stars; Showtime Orders The Wood to Pilot

From the creators of the successful crafting competition show Making It and executive producer Amy Poehler and her Paper Kite Productions, comes a new series coming to Peacock. Emmy award-winning actor, producer and musician Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live) and Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning actor and producer, Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) are getting into the holiday spirit as the hosts of Baking It. The series is a six-episode holiday competition series in which eight teams of two talented home bakers join Maya and Andy's winter cabin for a celebration of culinary holiday traditions. Contestant duos will include spouses, siblings, best friends and more, who will work together to create outstanding savory and sweet creations for themed challenges with the hopes of winning a cash prize. Maya and Andy will lead the festivities, also providing comedic commentary on the action. The bakers' holiday treats will be judged by tough critics - four opinionated real-life grandmothers, who happen to be fantastic bakers themselves! Baking It will be a heartfelt and joyful celebration of the time of year when people come together to honor their traditions, while also indulging in excessive baked goods.

Showtime has announced a pilot order for the comedy series The Wood, based on the feature film written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa (The Chi, Dope). Famuyiwa will direct the pilot and executive produce with Justin Hillian (The Chi, Snowfall), who will write the script. The project is a production of Paramount Television Studios.

The Wood is an honest look at friendship and dating from the perspective of three young Black males born and raised in the gentrifying L.A. suburb of Inglewood, fondly referred to by locals as the City Of Champions. The trio's struggles to balance fatherhood, ambition and loyalty force them to question if they are growing apart ... or closer together. With a knowing nod back to the characters of the 1999 film on which it is based, this romantic comedy showcases the humor and heart of young Black men and women trying to navigate life, love and likes on the 'Gram.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Peacock, Saturday Night Live, Showtime, The Wood

Fri-Yay: Brooklyn Nine-Nine Is Addressing Police Misconduct On Its Way Out the Door; Netflix Renews Never Have I Ever for Season 3

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, the 8th and final season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine premiered on NBC. It has been 16 months since the show last aired (the 7th season concluded in April 2020 - the show sat out for the regular 2020 - 2021 broadcast season.) Needless to say, a lot has changed in that time, particularly with the topic of police officers. Just a few months after the 7th season ended, the George Floyd video shocked America, and led to a discussion on police brutality and reforming police systems in the US. Brooklyn Nine-Nine threw out all of their previous ideas for the 8th season, hence the long delay in between Seasons 7 and 8. The show's premiere episode last week directly addressed this turmoil. Not only did Rosa quit the police force due to her uncomfortableness helping a system that has wronged so many, but Jake finds himself being called a "pig" and part of the problem.

In some ways, this isn't new territory for the show, which has always depicted the police officers outside of the 99 to be corrupt in many ways. But this was the first time the show seemed to reckon with the fact that its officers could be part of the problem, or at least that its characters reckoned with it. It was an interesting tonal shift for the show, although the second episode of the one-hour premiere was much more traditional Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Still, the final season certainly seems to have a bit of a darker vibe overall. Not only is the show addressing real world issues head on, it broke up Captain Holt and his husband Kevin, in a move that shocked many fans. The show has always been a generally light-hearted sitcom, although it has dipped its toes into serious issues before (such as racial profiling and the Me Too movement), but this feels like the most upfront and personal the show is getting with these issues, and it seems to also be willing to experiment with messing up its characters' personal lives. Typically, planned final seasons of sitcoms tend to be a celebration of shorts, and are often a little lower stakes, meant to celebrate the show that we love and demonstrate where our beloved characters are ending up. Brooklyn Nine-Nine, on the other hand, might be going in another direction. It'll be interesting to see how the show manages to balance these tones as it finishes out its run.

Netflix has renewed Never Have I Ever for a third season. Netflix's Head of Global TV Bela Bajaria broke the news during her TCA remarks. Never Have I Ever is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with 3 Arts Entertainment, Original Langster, and Kaling International. Returning cast includes: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Jaren Lewison, Darren Barnet, Lee Rodriguez, Ramona Young with narration from John McEnroe. Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming globally, only on Netflix. Never Have I Ever is a coming-of-age comedy about the complicated life of a modern-day first-generation Indian American teenage girl. In Season 2, Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) continues to deal with the everyday pressures of high school and drama at home, while also navigating new romantic relationships. Never Have I Ever is created by executive producer Mindy Kaling, with Lang Fisher serving as co-creator, executive producer, showrunner and writer. The Universal Television project is also executive produced by 3 Arts Entertainment's Howard Klein and David Miner.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fri-Yay, NBC, Netflix, Never Have I Ever

Fri-Yay: First Look at the 2021-2022 Sitcom Slate; NBC Books Eighth and Final Season Premiere of Brooklyn Nine-Nine for August 12

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

This week was Upfronts week for broadcast TV, and it was a particularly notable Upfronts season given the turbulence of the past year. Last season's new shows were limited due to the pandemic, and the few freshman series we had were greatly effected by production delays and shutdowns. This year, we hate a sitcom slate that looks a bit more "normal." Although most comedies have been held for midsession, there are a handful of shows I'm interested in seeing. In fact, I'm looking forward to this upcoming sitcom slate more than any new sitcom slate in recent years. There's quite a few trailers of new series that caught my eye.

Of the new comedy trailers, there's four that really stood out to me: Welcome to Flatch on FOX, Abbott Elementary as well as the The Wonder Years reboot on ABC, and American Auto on NBC. Welcome to Flatch, which stars Aya Cash of You're the Worst, is a new mockumentary series that chronicles the life of a silly small town. It looks from the trailer like a mix of The Office and Schitt's Creek, and likely is trying to capitalize on the streaming-borne popularity of both series. Abbott Elementary looks to be a solidly funny workplace sitcom with a talented cast, and American Auto (created by Superstore creator Justin Spitzer) seems to be the same. The Wonder Years, meanwhile, is a show I am very interested to see rebooted with its comedy-drama mix that should fit nicely with ABC's family lineup. In general, many of these shows seem more interesting than most current network comedies, and more tailored towards young, streaming-hungry audience. Perhaps networks have finally started thinking long term about producing shows that can have long, Office or Schitt's Creek esque streaming lives. It would be a smart direction, and I hope these promising shows can live up to their interesting trailers and premises.

The eighth and final season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine will premiere on NBC on August 12 at 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. ET/PT. It will air back-to-back every Thursday at 8:00–8:30 and 8:30–9:00pm ET/PT through September 16, except for September 9 when they will air the NFL Kickoff.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine follows the exploits of hilarious Det. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and his stoically ever-professional Capt. Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher), along with their diverse, lovable colleagues as they police the NYPD's 99th Precinct. In this final season of the series, Jake and the squad must try to balance their personal lives and their professional lives over the course of a very difficult year.

Rounding out the ensemble is Sgt. Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), who has a passion for organization and a weakness for dork dancing; Lt. Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews), a mountain of a man whose most powerful muscle is his sweetheart; Jake’s best friend and human puppy dog, Det. Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio), and the incredibly secretive, tough-as-nails Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz). Also part of the Nine-Nine are veteran officers Det. Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller) and Det. Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker), whose only skill as police officers is their ability to make a passable pot of coffee.

Posted by Todd -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Abbott Elementary, ABC, American Auto, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fox, Fri-Yay, NBC, Welcome to Flatch, Wonder Years, Wonder Years (2021)

CBS Renews 2 Comedies, Cancels Mom and Drama NCIS: New Orleans; Peacock Bulks Up on Original Series

CBS announced that it has renewed its popular Monday night comedy hour of The Neighborhood and Bob ♥ Abishola for the 2021-2022 broadcast season. Additional CBS renewals will be announced in the coming months.The Neighborhood stars Cedric the Entertainer, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Tichina Arnold, Sheaun McKinney, Marcel Spears and Hank Greenspan. Executive producers are Jim Reynolds, Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor, Wendi Trilling, Cedric the Entertainer and Eric Rhone. The series is produced by CBS Studios. Bob ♥ Abishola stars Billy Gardell, Folake Olowofoyeku, Christine Ebersole, Matt Jones, Maribeth Monroe, Vernee Watson, Shola Adewusi, Barry Shabaka Henley, Travis Wolfe, Jr., Gina Yashere, Bayo Akinfemi and Anthony Okungbowa. The executive producers are Chuck Lorre, Al Higgins and Beth McCarthy Miller. Gina Yashere is co-executive producer and writer. The series is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., in association with Warner Bros. Television. In other news, two long-running series will come to an end. Sitcom Mom will conclude its eight-season run with the series finale on Thursday, May 6 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, while drama NCIS: New Orleans will conclude its seven-season run with its series finale, Sunday, May 16 at 10:00 PM ET/PT.

Peacock announced all-new programming at the Television Critics Association Press Tour. New unscripted series Ex Rated has been picked up with host and executive producer Andy Cohen, and highly anticipated Real Housewives of Miami is in development. On the comedy front, Peacock has ordered Untitled Craig Robinson Project (previously titled Killing It) to series starring Craig Robinson and ensemble comedy Bust Down from Lorne Michaels and starring Chris Redd, Sam Jay, Langston Kerman and Jak Knight. .

Untitled Craig Robinson Project is a comedy about class, capitalism and one man's quest to achieve the American dream. And also about hunting really big snakes. The project reunites Craig Robinson with Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-creator Dan Goor and executive producer Luke Del Tredici. Robinson recurs on Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Jake's friend and nemesis, Doug Judy (aka the Pontiac Bandit). 10 episodes have been ordered of this Peacock comedy. In Bust Down, four casino employees in a dead-end job in middle America attempt to find self-worth in their bad ideas. Six episodes have been ordered starring Chris Redd, Sam Jay, Langston Kerman and Jak Knight.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Bob ♥ Abishola, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Bust Down, CBS, Killing It, Mom, NCIS, Peacock, The Neighborhood

SitcomsOnline Digest: Brooklyn Nine-Nine Coming to an End; Chappelle's Show Returns to Netflix

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we are hearing about the end of two NBC sitcoms, a new addition to MeTV, and more. Let's get going!

• Brooklyn Nine-Nine is coming to an end after a healthy eight season run, and cast members are reacting. (Deadline) 
• A date has been set for the final episode of Superstore. (TVLine)
  
• As Tubi tries to be more and more like a real linear TV experience, they've now added live local newscasts in several cities. (Deadline)
• Suzanne Somers had an incident with a nearly naked intruder during a Facebook live stream. (Vulture)
  
• The Jetsons is coming to MeTV. (SitcomsOnline)  

WEEKLY PLANNER (FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19)

• Chappelle's Show is back on Netflix after a dispute between the star and Comedy Central has been worked out.
• NBC has two new sitcoms, Young Rock and Kenan, on Tuesday night.
  
• Saturday Night Live is new tonight with Regina King, who has experience being on the NBC Saturday night lineup decades ago as a child on 227, as host.
• The Decades binge this weekend is Hawaii Five-O.
• Cozi has a Valentine's Day themed marathon of The Office tomorrow.
  
• Even though it's technically already aired twice, The Great North "officially" debuts tomorrow on Fox.
  

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:00 PM

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Labels: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Chappelle's Show, SitcomsOnline Digest, Superstore, The Jetsons, Tubi

Fri-Yay: Brooklyn Nine-Nine Ending After 8 Seasons; HBO Max Orders Comedy from Issa Rae

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

Well, it's official: Brooklyn Nine-Nine will be ending after its 8th season. In a way, this news isn't surprising, considering NBC seems to be moving in a new direction with its comedy series - Superstore was previously announced as ending, and the two shows had very similar vibes and ratings. Additionally, unlike when Fox abruptly cancelled the show after Season 5, the shows' creators seem to be amically ending the series along with the network, feeling that the show has run its course. Both creatively and commercially, it's an understandable decision. Brooklyn Nine-Nine was still a great show, but it was clear that it was starting to lose some ideas for its main characters, with each character beginning to reach a natural endpoint. And after a solid-rated Season 6, the ratings dropped in Season 7. Plus, after the turmoil of 2020, it's questionable whether or not people still want to laugh at a sitcom about police officers.

Still, Brooklyn Nine-Nine ending means one less network sitcom in a world that's already getting a bit short on them. With both Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine gone soon, the future is a question mark for acclaimed and fan beloved network comedies. Will anything step up to take their place? There are some solid new sitcoms on broadcast TV still, but none really rise to the level that either of those two hit. Mr. Mayor shows promise, but isn't there yet - and will it even be a part of NBC's new regime? Still, I'm interested to see where Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes its characters in its final season. Will it address the policing controversies of 2020? How will things end up for the characters? Hopefully, all of those questions will be answered in the final run of 10 episodes, which has been delayed until the 2021-2022 season (the pandemic means Brooklyn Nine-nine will sit the 2020-2021 TV season out completely.)

HBO Max has given an eight-episode order to the half-hour comedy series Rap Sh*t (working title) from Issa Rae (HBO's Insecure and A Black Lady Sketch Show), with Syreeta Singleton (Insecure, Central Park) serving as executive producer and showrunner, and hip hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls serving as co-executive producers. Rap Sh*t (wt) follows two estranged high school friends from Miami who reunite to form a rap group. Rap Sh*t (wt) will be executive produced by Issa Rae and Montrel McKay (A Black Lady Sketch Show, Road Trippp) for HOORAE, as well as Jonathan Berry (Insecure) and Dave Becky (Master of None, Russian Dolls) for 3 Arts Entertainment, along with showrunner Syreeta Singleton, with Rae also writing the pilot. Hip hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls serve as co-executive producers, along with Kevin "Coach K" Lee and Pierre "P" Thomas for Quality Control Films and Sara Rastogi for HOORAE. Rae's audio content company Raedio will handle music supervision for the series. Casting is currently underway. Production is scheduled to begin this summer.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fri-Yay, HBO Max, Insecure, NBC, Rap Sh!t, Superstore

Fri-Yay: Has the Sitcom Revival Bubble Finally Burst?; NBC Announces Rest of Spring 2021 Schedule

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

A few years ago, it seemed like the only way for a sitcom to get greenlit was to be a revival of a previous hit sitcom. In just a few years timespan, we had revivals for Boy Meets World, Full House, Murphy Brown, Will & Grace, One Day at a Time, Roseanne and some others, as well. Now, a few years later, there is just one revival still left on network TV: the Roseanne spin-off The Conners, and its once-robust ratings have taken a huge hit this season. Recently, even the critically acclaimed One Day at a Time reboot, which was widely considered to be the best reboot done yet, was canceled after a two-network run on Netflix and Pop TV. So has the clock finally run out on reboots?

Truthfully, it does seem like reboots tend to follow a trend of high initial interest followed by a gradual decline in popularity. We could clearly see this with the two most-hyped reboots, the Roseanne and Will & Grace reboots. Both shows started with monster ratings, and Roseanne was able to transfer most of its audience to The Conners, as well. But those ratings have taken a huge hit this season, similar to the hit that Will & Grace took in its last few seasons. And while we don't have viewership data for Fuller House, the hype - and the way Netflix seemed to depriortize it after its first few seasons - suggests that it may have followed a similar path. Whether you liked or hated the reboots, it certainly seems as if their time, for now, has come and gone (though some pilot or script orders were ordered for The Wonder Years, Night Court, Kate & Allie and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman). Now there are more drama revivals/reboots on the air, all on CBS/The CW (MacGyver, Magnum P.I., S.W.A.T., Charmed, Dynasty, Nancy Drew, Roswell, Walker and the upcoming The Equalizer & Kung Fu).

NBC is reuniting two of the most popular members of the NYPD in TV history with a must-watch April 1 crossover that will serve as the launch of the highly anticipated new Dick Wolf drama, Law & Order: Organized Crime. A two-hour television event set for Thursday, April 1, this crossover between Law & Order: SVU (9 p.m.) and Law & Order: Organized Crime (10 p.m.) will finally bring back together Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, played by Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni. The spin-off series will run through May 20, just like SVU. Both series will also encore on Saturdays from 8-10 p.m. beginning April 3 through May 8, before NHL Playoffs take over on May 15. In other scheduling news on the scripted side, Good Girls will make its season four premiere on Sunday, March 7 at 10 p.m. thru June 13 as Beth, Ruby and Annie get together once again as the stakes for everyone gets higher and higher. Manifest is back for season three on Thursday, April 1 at 8 p.m. thru June 24 asking what happened to the passengers on Flight 828. Newly crowned Golden Globe Award nominee Jane Levy and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist returns from their hiatus with a new date and time – Sundays at 9 p.m. beginning March 28 thru May 16. And on the unscripted side, Ellen's Game of Games will shift from Mondays to Sundays beginning March 7 at 9 p.m. before moving to 8 p.m. on March 28 (following a repeat at 7pm) thru May 16.

Comedy wise, with the addition of drama Manifest on Thursdays, this means still no word on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but that series was having issues with production due to COVID-19. Superstore is expected to end its series run at the end of March (tentatively March 25), while Mr. Mayor will wrap its 9 episode run on Feb. 25.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fri-Yay, Mr. Mayor, NBC, Roseanne, Superstore, The Conners

Modern Family Heading to Hulu and Peacock for Streaming; NBC Schedules New Drama on Mondays

The long-running hit comedy series Modern Family will be available to Hulu and Peacock subscribers beginning February 3, it was jointly announced by Hulu and Peacock. As part of the unprecedented multi-year shared agreement with Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, both Hulu and Peacock will be the dedicated subscription streaming homes to all 250 Modern Family episodes spanning 11 binge-worthy seasons. It also marks the first time the entire series will be available on a subscription video-on-demand platform in the U.S. During its historic run, the fan-favorite series was available for next-day viewing to Hulu subscribers. Following its 2009 premiere, Modern Family wrapped its hugely successful network run on ABC last spring. Throughout its impressive run it was nominated for a staggering 85 Emmy(R) Awards and won 22 including five for Outstanding Comedy Series. The series was also honored with a Golden Globe(R) Award, numerous Screen Actors Guild Awards(R) and was recognized by the AFI, Humanitas and Peabody organizations.

The critically acclaimed and high rated comedy follows the diverse, complex, and sometimes nutty Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan. The family is headed by Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill), who is now married to his second wife, the young, gorgeous Gloria (Sofía Vergara), assumed by some to be his daughter. In their loving care is Gloria's daydreaming son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez). Jay's driven daughter, Claire (Julie Bowen), and her real estate agent husband, Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell), want an open, healthy relationship with their three kids, which isn't always easy. Their oldest daughter, Haley (Sarah Hyland), grows up a little too fast. Middle child, Alex (Ariel Winter), is a too-smart-for-her-own-good daughter, and the youngest, Luke (Nolan Gould), is a rambunctious son. Where Phil wants to be the "cool dad," Claire is determined to keep her kids from walking in the wayward footsteps of her younger days. Jay's very serious son, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), and his gregarious husband, Cameron (Eric Stonestreet), become doting parents to Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons), the sweet Vietnamese girl they adopt. Though life isn't always tidy, politically correct, or predictable, it's always loving, heartwarming, and hilarious for this blended, extended - and truly modern - family.

NBC's new drama Debris will debut on Monday, March 1 at 10 p.m. and will air for 13 weeks through May 24. The series stars Jonathan Tucker, Riann Steele, Norbert Leo Butz and Scroobius Pip. When wreckage from a destroyed alien spacecraft scatters across the Western Hemisphere, it soon becomes apparent the pieces are messing with the laws of physics, changing lives in ways we can't comprehend. Two agents from different continents, and different mindsets, are tasked to work together to recover the debris, whose mysteries humankind is not quite ready for. NBC has not announced the new season of The Voice yet, but it is all but expected to air Mondays from 8-10pm starting March 1. NBC also is expected to announce the returns of dramas New Amsterdam and Manifest soon, along with returning comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. So much more to come for NBC's spring lineup. In other news from NBC, they have renewed its signature drama The Blacklist for a ninth season in 2021-22. The series is currently in its eighth season airing on Friday nights.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: ABC, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Hulu, Modern Family, NBC, Peacock

TBS Brings Out Halloween Sitcom Episodes on Halloween; Remembering Conchata Ferrell of Two and a Half Men

Halloween isn't cancelled this year! Get in the spooky season spirit with some fan favorite Halloween themed episodes on TBS. On Friday, October 30, catch Halloween episodes of American Dad!, Family Guy and Bob's Burgers from 3pm-8pm. Then on Halloween itself on Saturday, October 31, it's sitcom Halloween episodes beginning at 6am. First up is Family Matters from 6am-8am, which includes when Urkel's dummy "Stevil" comes to life on Halloween. Then from 8am-10am catch George Lopez Halloween episodes from 8am-10am, which includes "Leave it to Lopez" where George has nightmares that hark back to his childhood television fixation. Moving on, it's Seinfeld Halloween episodes from 10am-12pm, which includes "The Opera." And the sitcom spooky episodes conclude in daytime with Brooklyn Nine-Nine from 12pm-2:30pm, where you will see all Halloween Heists! After some movies, you can catch Halloween episodes of The Big Bang Theory in primetime from 9pm-11pm, which includes when Sheldon tries to spook his friends on Halloween.

Actress Conchata Ferrell, who was best known for her role as Berta the housekeeper in Two and a Half Men, has died. She died on October 12 from complications following cardiac arrest at the Sherman Oaks Hospital in Sherman Oaks, California. Ms. Ferrell was 77.

Ferrell's first starring role was as April Green in the short-lived 1975 ABC sitcom Hot l Baltimore, which was produced by Norman Lear. April was the love of Bill Lewis (James Cromwell), the desk clerk at the dilapidated Hotel Baltimore. The show's title came from the cheap establishment's neon marquee which had a burned-out letter "e". The series also starred Richard Masur, Al Freeman Jr., Jeannie Linero, Gloria LeRoy, Robin Wilson, Stan Gottlieb, Lee Bergere, Henry Calvert and Charlotte Rae.

Some of her early sitcom guest appearances included Maude, One Day at Time (1977), Blansky's Beauties, Good Times and The Love Boat. Her early drama guest appearances included The Rockford Files, The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, Knot's Landing, B.J. and the Bear (five episodes as Wilhelmina "The Fox" Johnson), McClain's Law, Lou Grant, Quincy M.E., Cagney & Lacey and St. Elsewhere.

She starred as Nurse Joan Thor in the short-lived 1984-1985 CBS sitcom E/R. She was the head nurse in the emergency room (E/R) at a fictional Clark Street Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. The cast included Elliott Gould, Marcia Strassman, Mary McDonnell, Lynne Moody, Shuko Akune, Corinne Bohrer, Bruce A. Young, Luis Ávalos, Jason Alexander, George Clooney, William G. Schilling and Jeff Doucette.

Ferrell appeared as Dr. Madeline Stoessinger in the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire from 1993 to 1995. Madeline was a friend and progressive soul mate of Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman (Markie Post). Ferrell had first made guest appearances as Dr. Ruth Colquist in two episodes in 1992. The cast included John Ritter, Justin Burnette (1992-1994), J. Skylar Testa, Clark Duke, Billy Bob Thornton, Wendie Jo Sperber (1992-1993), Doren Fein and Leslie Jordan (1993-1995).

She played Marge, the raspy owner of the diner, in the short-lived 1996 ABC sitcom Townies. The series starred Molly Ringwald, Jenna Elfman, Lauren Graham, Billy Burr, Ron Livingston, Lee Garlington, Dion Anderson and Joseph Reitman.

Ferrell appeared as Aunt Pam, a disgrunted postal worker, in the 1997-1998 ABC sitcom Teen Angel. The series starred Mike Damus, Corbin Allred, Maureen McCormick, Katie Volding, Jordan Brower and Ron Glass.

Her best known role was as Berta in all twelve seasons of the 2003-2015 CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. Berta was Charlie's (Charlie Sheen) housekeeper, a sharp-tongued woman who initially resists the change to the household, but grudgingly accepts it. Ferrell had a recurring role in the first season before becoming a regular for the remaining seasons. She received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005 and 2007 for the role. The cast included Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones, Holland Taylor, Marin Hinkle, Melanie Lyskey, April Bowlby (seasons 3-4), Jennifer Taylor (seasons 6-7), Amber Tamblyn (seasons 11-12) and Ashton Kutcher (seasons 9-12).

Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included Night Court, Sledge Hammer!, Hooperman, Who's the Boss?, Dinosaurs (voice), The Naked Truth, Minor Adjustments, Friends, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Becker and Grace and Frankie. She appeared as Shirley in five episodes of the Netflix sitcom The Ranch in 2017.

She had a recurring role as Attorney Susan Bloom in the sixth season of NBC's L.A. Law from 1991 to 1992. Ferrell received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1992 for her role. She first appeared as Lorna Landsberg in a 1988 episode. She played Kate Galindo, a secretary, in the short-lived 1989 CBS drama Peaceable Kingdom. She played Martha, the owner and operator of Martha's Boarding House, in the short-lived 2002 ABC drama Push, Nevada. Some of her other drama guest appearances included Murder, She Wrote, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, JAG, ER and Judging Amy.

Some of her film roles included Deadly Hero (1976), Network (1976), Heartland (1979), Mystic Pizza (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), True Romance (1993), Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000), Erin Brockovich (2000), K-Pax (2001) and Mr. Deeds (2002).

Ms. Ferrell was a talented and funny character actress. She made everything she appeared in much better. Berta wasn't one of TV's best housekeepers as far as cleaning, but she was one of the funniest. 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 Two and a Half Men message board. View photos in our galleries.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: American Dad!, Bob's Burgers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy, Family Matters, George Lopez, Hearts Afire, Obits, Seinfeld, TBS, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men

SitcomsOnline Digest: Sitcoms Present and Past Deal with Current Racial Issues; Binge Watch Past Favorites on Roku Channel

• If you're planning to binge watch every episode of your favorite NBC sitcom from last decade, you'll need to do that on DVD if you want to watch every episode, as episodes of 30 Rock, Community, Scrubs, and a scene from The Office have been scrubbed from streaming platforms (and in some cases will be pulled from syndicated reruns as well) due to containing blackface. (Variety) 
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine has scrapped the previously written scripts for four planned episodes for the upcoming season in light of current events. (BBC)
• Meanwhile, The Simpsons and Family Guy will no longer have white actors playing nonwhite roles, which most notably means Mike Henry will no longer voice Cleveland on Family Guy. (Deadline) 
• Another series has arrived on streaming media with missing episodes: South Park is missing 5 episodes on HBO Max due to depictions of the Muslim prophet Muhammad. (Deadline)
• We're all watching streaming media these days, but lets face it, some of us still enjoy linear viewing experiences, and Amazon appears to be taking that into consideration. (Deadline)
• REELZ has a several episodes of upcoming programs featuring the lives and untimely deaths of past sitcoms stars. (SitcomsOnline) 

• Most of these shows aren't new to the service, but if you've got a Roku, you can binge watch many shows that aren't available on other streaming services for free with commercials, including Head of the Class, Growing Pains, Starsky & Hutch, Rules of Engagement, The Carol Burnett Show, and more.
• Decades is going west with The Wild Wild West this weekend.
• There are some shifts in the Antenna TV lineup this weekend.

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:00 PM

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Labels: 30 Rock, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Community, Family Guy, Scrubs, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Office, The Simpsons

Fri-Yay: Brooklyn Nine-Nine Continues to Delight and Improve; Remembering Richard Herd of Seinfeld

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

The past few weeks, I've gotten the chance to catch up on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a show that I really enjoy, but sometimes forget to watch for a bit, so I wind up having a long string of episodes to catch up on. In a way, I like it that way, because Brooklyn Nine-Nine is the type of show whose upbeat, cheerful world I like to get lost in for a while, and the world of Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been a constant source of joy in these trying times. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a show that has been so good for so long that it's easy to take its consistent for granted. But we should remember that a comedy being great for so long is certainly not the norm. By Season 7, most comedies have shown signs of wear and tear. Instead, Brooklyn Nine-Nine just keeps getting better.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine was a really solid show in its early seasons, but it didn't necessarily rise to the level of "great" in its first couple of seasons, seeming content at being an entertaining workplace comedy without much depth. But slowly but surely, the show began to quietly really focus on developing its characters, and by Season 4, the characters had grown past their original archetypes and become something more real. That has made the show even more rewarding as it enters its later seasons, as the relationship between its characters - such as Jake and Amy, which started out as a typical will they/won't they but accelerated in a way that they feel like a truly real couple. It's really rare for a show to give its characters more depth as it progresses, but that's what's happened with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and it's truly a joy to watch.

Actor Richard Herd, who appeared as George Costanza's boss Mr. Wilhelm in Seinfeld, has died. He died from cancer at his Los Angeles home on May 26. Mr. Herd was 87.

Herd starred as Captain Dennis Sheridan in the police drama T.J. Hooker. Captain Sheridan was the by-the-books superior at the fictional Lake City Police Department (LCPD) Academy Precinct. He was the father of Officer Stacy Sheridan (Heather Locklear). Herd was a regular in the first two seasons before becoming an occasional guest star in seasons three and four. The series aired on ABC for four seasons from 1982 to 1985 before moving to CBS for the final season from 1985 to 1986. It also starred William Shatner, Adrian Zmed (1982-1985), Lee Bryant (1982-1983), April Clough (1982) and James Darren (1983-1986).

He played John, the Visitors' Supreme Commander, in the 1983 NBC sci-fi miniseries V and 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle. He starred as Admiral/Secretary General William Noyce in the NBC sci-fi series seaQuest DSV from 1993 to 1994. He appeared as Mike the in the short-lived 1994 NBC drama Winnetka Road.

Herd appeared as Mr. Wilhelm, George Costanza's (Jason Alexander) baffled boss, in 11 episodes of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld from 1995 to 1998. Matt Wilhelm was George's supervisor at the New York Yankees. He later leaves the Yankees to become head scout for the New York Mets.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included M*A*S*H in 1980, The Golden Girls in 1989, Grace Under Fire in 1996 and Caroline in the City in 1998.

He played Admiral Owen Paris, the father of helmsman Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), in three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. Some of his many drama guest appearances included Kojak, The Rockford Files, The Streets of San Francisco, Starsky and Hutch, Dallas, Hart to Hart, Falcon Crest, Matt Houston, The A-Team, Knight Rider, Hardcastle and McCormick, Dynasty, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Beauty and the Beast, Simon & Simon, Matlock, Knots Landing, China Beach, Murder, She Wrote, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Quantum Leap, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, ER, Walker, Texas Ranger, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Pacific Blue, JAG and CSI: Miami.

Herd's first major film role was in the thriller The China Syndrome (1979) alongside Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon and Michael Douglas, where he played the character Evan McCormack, the corrupt Chairman of the California Gas & Electric Board. Some of his other film credits included Private Benjamin (1980), Lovely But Deadly (1981), Trancers (1985), Summer Rental (1985), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Gleaming the Cube (1989), Get Out (2017) and The Mule (2018).

Mr. Herd was a very good character actor. He was mostly known for his dramatic roles, but he showed his comedic chops in Seinfeld as Wilhelm. He will be greatly missed.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fri-Yay, NBC, Obits, Seinfeld

Fri-Yay: Review of One Day at a Time Season 4 Premiere; NBC Sets Will & Grace Finale Night and Special I Love Lucy Episode

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

In the midst of a global pandemic, we can at least still turn to sitcoms for comfort. The fourth season of One Day at a Time premiered this week on Pop TV (and simulcast on TV Land and Logo), which was notable not just because it's a great show but because it was the first episode following the sitcom's transition from streaming service to weekly television series. The fourth season premiere, "Checking Boxes," was the first time the show had to adjust to regular TV rules such as time limits and commercial breaks. It was also the opportunity for the show to draw in a new audience, which is probably why "Checking Boxes" felt very much like the show resetting itself mildly for any new viewers who may not have caught the show on Netflix. The episode's opening scene has special guest Ray Romano taking census information for the Alvarezes, which serves as a quick way to get all of the information needed about the family for anyone who is just now checking the series out. The scene is also a little sillier and broader than the show typically is, incorporating two meta jokes (one being the opening line that takes a shot at Netflix - Alex bemoans "there's nothing good on Netflix anymore" - and another is a play on Everybody Loves Raymond). Both are funny jokes, especially the Netflix crack, but it's a little odd for One Day at a Time, a very classic-style sitcom that has never really tipped its toes in meta, self-referential humor before. Still, it's likely a way to draw some attention for the show, which I'm totally fine with.

The rest of "Checking Boxes" is very much in line with typical One Day at a Time, as Penelope has the census worker causing a spiral and fret about ending up alone. It will take some time to get used to the placement of commercial breaks, as well as the much, much shorter theme song. But for the most part, everything else from One Day at a Time transfers perfectly from streaming to over-the-air TV. The characters are still the same, the writing is sharp with a dose of heart, and the acting is top-notch, with chemistry flowing endlessly through the cast. "Checking Boxes" isn't necessarily top-tier One Day at a Time, but it's a warm, friendly introduction for anyone just jumping on board now, and it's a great welcome back for a show that at one time seemed to be good as gone. It made me incredibly excited that this show is back, and interested to see where it goes from here.

Will & Grace, one of NBC's most beloved comedy series of all time, is set to air its series finale on Thursday, April 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Leading into the series finale episode, NBC will air a Will & Grace retrospective special, hosted by Eric McCormack at 8:30 p.m. (following the season finale of Brooklyn Nine-Nine at a special time of 8:00 p.m.) In the special, McCormack will show clips of past and present episodes that highlight the series' most iconic and memorable moments. The retrospective will also feature emotionally-charged reactions from Will & Grace superfans and celebrities who will share stories about what the show has meant to them. The special will cover the litany of guest stars who have appeared as well as the groundbreaking and TV history-making moments the show has created over the years, including the first male-to-male kiss on network television. Elton John and Norman Lear will also make special appearances.

In the season finale episode, "It's Time," with the apartment packed up, Will (Eric McCormack) is determined to not reminisce about his life in the city or his ex, McCoy (guest star Matt Bomer). Grace (Debra Messing), on the verge of giving birth, keeps having false alarms of going into labor. At the behest of Stan, Karen (Megan Mullally) goes to the top of the Statue of Liberty to get closure with her ex-husband. Jack's (Sean Hayes) dream of taking a bow on a Broadway stage becomes a very real possibility. Minnie Driver and Brian Jordan Alvarez guest star. The special I Love Lucy-inspired episode, titled "We Love Lucy," will air Thursday, April 9 at 9 p.m. The episode features stylized recreations of the classic "Vitameatavegamin," "Chocolate Factory" and "Grape-Stomping" scenes featured in I Love Lucy, with Grace, Karen and Jack each imagine themselves as, with Will as the Ricky to all of them. Lucie Arnaz and Leslie Jordan guest star.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fri-Yay, I Love Lucy, Logo, NBC, Netflix, One Day at a Time, POP, TV Land, Will & Grace

Family Matters Back on TBS; Caroline Rhea to Headline Showtime Comedy Special

As of a few weeks ago, '90s staple Family Matters is now back on TBS! The series is airing weekdays from 5am-6:30am. It is replacing Married...with Children. The TBS line-up consists of Family Matters in the mornings, followed by blocks of Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld and Friends from 6:30am-4pm. A mix of Bob's Burgers, American Dad! and Family Guy airs in early fringe with Seinfeld on most days in access from 7-8pm leading into The Big Bang Theory in primetime (sometimes Family Guy is in prime). Late fringe has Brooklyn Nine-Nine and New Girl after 12am, check listings for which days they run. And in the overnight 2 Broke Girls airs usually between 3-5am. Back to Family Matters, the Urkel sitcom also airs of course on TV One in the late afternoons and a huge Friday block that runs til late night.

Caroline Rhea (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) will headline More Funny Women of a Certain Age, a new comedy special premiering Saturday, March 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime. Carol Leifer (Seinfeld), Carole Montgomery (Comics Unleashed), Julia Scotti (America's Got Talent), Tammy Pescatelli (Finding The Funny) and Thea Vidale (Last Comic Standing) round out the lineup for the hour-long special. Filmed at the Bell House in Brooklyn, the special features six of the funniest women in stand-up for a night of uninhibited, outrageous comedy. More Funny of a Certain Age is the second installment of the hit comedy showcase from Montgomery and producer Dave Goldberg. Funny Women of a Certain Age became the network's highest-rated premiere of a stand-up special in 2019.

In More Funny Women of a Certain Age, these six celebrated comics tackle the realities of aging with a strong punchline. From nostalgic moments, to parenting adult children, to navigating today's technology, these comics seamlessly poke fun at the stark contrasts between the older and younger generations in this bold and hilarious set. More Funny Women of a Certain Age is a monthly comedy showcase in New York and Los Angeles hosted by creator Montgomery, who is a well-known fixture on the comedy scene, performing for over 40 years. She's made numerous television appearances, including Politically Incorrect and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, starred in two long-running Las Vegas revues and made nearly a dozen tours around the world for Armed Forces Entertainment performing for our troops.

Best known for her role as Hilda Spellman on the ABC hit series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Rhea's 30 year career in stand-up and on television includes starring in Sydney to the Max, and hosting Caroline and Friends, her hit game show with Alec Baldwin. Leifer is an accomplished comedian, author, producer, actress and four-time Emmy(R) nominated writer for shows including Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show and Saturday Night Live and is currently a writer and consulting producer for Curb Your Enthusiasm. Scotti, a teacher, author, speaker and woman of transgendered experience, has toured the country, both as a headliner in comedy clubs and as an opening act for artists such as Lou Rawls, Chicago and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Pescatelli is a comedian with a slew of accolades under her belt including co-creating, executive producing, writing and starring in her own reality show, A Stand-Up Mother. She recently released a comedy special titled Tammy Pescatelli's: Way After School Special. Vidale has received a People's Choice Award nomination for her role in Thea, appeared on Last Comic Standing and recently performed on TV Guide's comedy show Standup in Stilettos.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: 2 Broke Girls, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Matters, New Girl, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Showtime, TBS, TV One

Fri-Yay: Top Sitcoms of the Decade, Part 1; Modern Family Heads to Paris for Episode

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

As we enter the 2020s, it's a good time to look back at the past 10 years of sitcoms and reflect on the best of the best. Below you'll find my list of the top sitcoms of the decade, with a little blurb about why I chose them as a standout sitcom. I decided to go with 12 sitcoms, as these 12 sitcoms are the ones that I felt really stood out as unique, original and important this decade. This week, I'll preview the first half. Next week, I'll count down the top 5!

12. New Girl (Fox, 2011 - 2018): New Girl started out as an ordinary Zooey Deschanel vehicle, obviously trying to propel its leading lady to TV stardom. However, it quickly grew into a show about a lovable group of misfits that became one of the best makeshift families on TV. New Girl’s humor, heart and wit made it one of the best sitcoms of the 2010s.

11. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox and NBC, 2013 - present): Brooklyn Nine-Nine was one of the sharpest workplace comedies of the decade, taking a familiar setting of a police precinct and making a unique structure of a sitcom meets a case-of-the-week series. However, what really makes this show shine is its extraordinary cast. The members of the 99th precinct are some of the most likable people on TV, and that's what made Brooklyn 99 one of the most likable shows of the 2010s.

10. 30 Rock (NBC, 2006 - 2013): Although 30 Rock aired only about half of its run in the 2010s, it still deserves a mention on this list for being one of the the funniest, best crafted sitcoms of all-time. The show's 2010s episodes (which spawned from the middle of the fourth season through the seventh season) were some of their best, featuring format-changing episodes such as live shows and episodes styled like Bravo reality shows. The show's final season in particular was a gem, wrapping everything up with emotional weight while still maintaining its signature joke-a-minute pace. 30 Rock will forever go down as one of the most joke-heavy shows to ever hit the airwaves.

9. One Day at a Time (Netflix and Pop TV, 2017 - present): If there's any show that's going to revive the multi-camera sitcom, it's One Day at a Time. After the format largely went dormant this decade aside from CBS's slate, One Day at a Time proved that it could still be full of laughs while still being cutting edge and inventive. The reboot of the 1970s sitcom stands out from the original by packing every episode with family love and a focus on relevant social issues.

8. Superstore (NBC, 2015 - present): NBC's Superstore can arguably be called the savior of NBC comedy this decade. After the network's attempts at going "broad" following their cancellation of the beloved 30 Rock/Community/Parks & Rec/Office blocked that marked the first few years of the decade went kaput, Superstore proved there was still a place for funny, sharp and smart comedy on the peacock. Superstore is a razor sharp satire of Corporate America with a funny and diverse cast, and it remains one of TV's biggest gems to this day.

7. Broad City (Comedy Central, 2014 - 2019): Broad City is a show that, in many ways, broke barriers. Not only did it allow two girls to enjoy the kind of success from crude, realistic humor in a way that hadn't been done before, its rags-to-riches story from a web series to a big-time TV series paved the way for many similar cable comedies after its debut. Broad City's lovable goofiness and strong example of female friendship will no doubt remain a major cultural touch-point of this decade.

6. Happy Endings (ABC, 2011 - 2013): The shortest-running show on this list, Happy Endings continues to go down as a fan favorite that was overlooked at the time but seems to be growing in popularity slowly but surely, the same way shows like Futurama and Arrested Development did before it. The show's fast-paced format rivaled classic Simpsons and 30 Rock for how many jokes it could cram into a single minute, and the friendship between its principle cast combined with its love of wordplay made for one of the most fun sitcoms of the 2010s.

Next week, I'll count down my top 5 sitcoms of the 2010s!

Je T'aime, Paris! Over the last 11 seasons, the Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan has traveled the globe, making hilarious memories wherever they went – from Hawaii, Australia, Wyoming and Disneyland to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and New York City. In one last family trip, they head to Paris so Jay can accept a lifetime achievement award for his work in the closet industry. However, his old nemesis, Earl Chambers, finds a way to haunt him. Meanwhile, Claire has a secret rendezvous in one of the most romantic cities in the world, and Cam's lifelong dream of performing as Fizbo on the streets of Paris is about to become a reality on an all-new episode of Modern Family, titled "Paris," on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 9:00 p.m. EST, on ABC. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on ABC.com, the ABC app and Hulu. Modern Family is currently the No. 1 comedy of the season in Adults 18-49.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: 30 Rock, ABC, Broad City, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fri-Yay, Happy Endings, Modern Family, New Girl, One Day at a Time, Superstore