SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Stavros Halkias Returns to Netflix; CNN to Air Matt Friend Comedy Special Friday

Comedian Stavros Halkias is returning to Netflix. His second Netflix stand-up special, Uncle Stav, will premiere later this year. The special is set to tape in Baltimore at The Lyric on April 24 and 25. The comedian's first Netflix special, Fat Rascal, premiered in 2023.

Stavros Halkias is a comedian, actor, and writer from Baltimore, Maryland, now based in New York City. He most recently wrote, produced, and starred in the indie comedy Let's Start a Cult. His latest stand-up special, Fat Rascal, is streaming on Netflix, following his debut special Live at the Lodge Room, which hit one million views in its first four days and has since surpassed seven million.

CNN will air an exclusive political satire and late-night comedy special hosted by famed comedian Matt Friend on Friday, April 24 at 11pm ET.

The special, produced by CNN, will be filmed from the nation's capital and will celebrate the longstanding tradition of combining comedy and politics to bring people together from across the political spectrum during the weekend of the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, an event focused on honoring journalism and the First Amendment and awarding scholarships. The hour will feature a monologue from Friend as well as appearances from special guests and surprise elements.

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

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Labels: CNN, Netflix

SitcomsOnline Digest: The Righteous Gemstones to End After Upcoming Season; Mid-Century Modern to Pay Tribute to Linda Lavin

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing of the cancelation of an HBO series, we're learning about how Linda Lavin will be written out of her upcoming series, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• The Righteous Gemstones is coming to an end after the upcoming fourth season at HBO. (Variety)
• Linda Lavin, who had recently filmed 7 episodes for the upcoming new Netflix series called Mid-Century Modern before dying a few weeks ago, has been written out of the series with an episode titled "Here's to You, Mrs. Schneiderman." (TV Line)
• Amidst the fires in Los Angeles, we're getting a look at some of the TV locations that no longer exist after burning down. (Deadline)
• Byron Allen has made a lot of enemies in recent weeks as his Allen Media Group local TV stations have been laying off local meteorologists with plans to replace them with satellite feeds from The Weather Channel, but it looks like they are canceling those plans now. (Cord Cutters News)
• Presumably they want us to forget that they already tried this and shut it down before even trying to make it work, but CNN is building a new streaming service. (The Verge)
• We've got some Fox Animation Domination lineup news, and it seems to suggest that the rumor that The Simpsons was moving to Wednesday was wrong. (SitcomsOnline)
• Rewind TV is making some schedule changes, but unfortunately, as has been the case for a lot of the retro TV networks for the past few years, we aren't getting any new additions to the lineup. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31)

• Tomorrow's Catchy Binge on Catchy Comedy is Happy Days.
• The CBS Sherlock Holmes inspired series Watson debuts tomorrow night.
• The CBS sitcom lineup returns with all new episodes this week.

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

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Labels: CNN, Happy Days, Mid-Century Modern, Rewind TV, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Righteous Gemstones, The Simpsons

SitcomsOnline Digest: Creative Team Put in Place for Big Bang Theory Spinoff; Girls5eva Canceled at Netflix

  Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's a slow pre-Christmas week, but we've got news about The Big Bang Theory (times two!), the cancelation of a Netflix series, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• We are one step closer to a spinoff of The Big Bang Theory on Max. (Deadline)
• Girls5eva has been canceled (again). (Deadline)
• It seems like a mostly inconsequential story for our sitcom fans, but Hallmark+ is changing their strategy for streaming movies that launch on Hallmark Channel to a "next day" strategy as opposed to "some point in the future," another sign that cable TV may be dying. (Cord Cutters News)
• Cable news ratings, particularly at CNN, have been awful post-election, and given that the way younger audiences consume news is changing and relies a whole lot less upon cable TV, there are serious questions about the future of cable news. (Cord Cutters News)
• Deborah Norville has been selected to host a new game show. (Deadline)
• Nick at Nite and MTV (which we're amazed has found any space on their lineup bin the middle of their five year long marathon of Ridiculousness) are both adding The Big Bang Theory to their lineup, starting next week. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (DECEMBER 21 - DECEMBER 27)

• It's a "Christmas Carol" binge of Carol Burnett and Friends on Catchy Comedy this weekend.
• As previously mentioned, The Big Bang Theory is headed to Nick at Nite, starting Tuesday.
• There will be plenty of Christmas marathons (too many to mention here!) next week, but for fans of classic sitcoms, the most comprehensive one will be Antenna TV's Classic Christmas Collection, which will air on Tuesday, and their Christmas Through the Years marathon on Wednesday.

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

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Labels: CNN, Girls5eva, Hallmark+, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Big Bang Theory

SitcomsOnline Digest: HBO Orders Kaley Cuoco Comedy from Hacks Creators; Reboot of Friday Night Lights in the Works

  Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing of a new HBO comedy that is in the works, the reboot of Friday Night Lights, some unexpected game show success for Fox, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• HBO has ordered a new comedy series, Kansas City Star, starring Kaley Cuoco. (Deadline)
• A reboot of Friday Night Lights is in the works. (Variety)
• Believe it or not, the Rob Lowe hosted game show The Floor is proving to be a ratings hit for Fox. (Deadline)
• It's hard for a broadcast network sitcom to get a full season anymore, but Happy's Place and Lopez vs. Lopez have at least had a script order for 3 additional episodes, which would bring the number of episodes for the season to 16. (TVLine)
• Local PBS stations are headed to Amazon Prime. (Variety)
• Chris Wallace is done at CNN, but the bigger news may be that CNN, with their combination of being owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and facing a sharp decline in post-election ratings, may be making other major cuts. (Adweek)
• ABC has announced midseason premiere dates, including a highly anticipated crossover. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (NOVEMBER 16 - NOVEMBER 22)

• There's a whole lot of Brady Bunch stuff this weekend on Catchy Comedy, including The Bradys, The Brady Brides, reunion movies, and the original series itself
• Season three of Night Court starts Tuesday night on NBC.
• The new Netflix comedy from Michael Schur, A Man on the Inside, premieres Thursday, and includes familiar faces from comedy including Ted Danson and Sally Struthers.

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

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Labels: CNN, Friday Night Lights, Happy's Place, Kansas City Star, Lopez vs. Lopez, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Floor

SitcomsOnline Digest: Frasier Reboot Date Set, With CBS Also Airing First Two Episodes; Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. Cancelled

 Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! In a normal year, we'd be getting ready for the new fall season, but unless you love some reality TV, that isn't going to happen this year... but, we do have some new scripted series in the pipeline for the fall (mostly series that were produced pre-strike), including news about new fall episodes of Frasier and Rick & Morty. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• A premiere date for the Frasier reboot is set at Paramount+, with the first two episodes also airing on CBS. (Variety)
• There won't be a third season of Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. on Disney+, as the series was cancelled. (Variety)
• It's not clear how the show would have worked out without the star (or perhaps the plan would have just been to cancel the series), but it seems Melissa Joan Hart was nearly fired from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. (Deadline)
• A season premiere date for Rick and Morty has been set. (Hollywood Reporter)
• A standalone streaming service didn't work out, but a new CNN Hub (including a 24/7 stream that won't be the actual network) is set to launch on Max. (Deadline)
• Weigel Broadcasting has filed for a trademark for "Toon TV," though it's not clear if this is for a new network, programming block, or just a preemptive trademark filing. (Cord Cutters News)
• Whether Weigel is planning a full cartoon network or not, their offerings on MeTV are expanding this fall. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (AUGUST 26 - SEPTEMBER 1)

• There is a binge of Full House this weekend on Catchy Comedy.
• The final season of Archer debuts Wednesday on FXX.

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

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Labels: CNN, Doogie Kameāloha, Frasier, Rick & Morty, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, SitcomsOnline Digest

CNN Presents See It Loud: The History of Black Television; Netflix's Tudum Fan Event in Brazil Recap

From executive producers LeBron James and Maverick Carter's Emmy(R) Award-winning studio The SpringHill Company, CNN Original Series See It Loud: The History of Black Television premieres on Sunday, July 9 at 9pm ET/PT. The series will air regularly on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on CNN for 5 episodes. See It Loud celebrates the achievements of Black actors and creators, examining the historical impact Black culture has on all culture. Today we are in the midst of what is being widely referred to as "The Golden Age of Black Television;" however, this "Golden Age" is the culmination of an eighty-year struggle for Black artists to find a voice and fight for representation. The series takes viewers on a journey from Black television's origins in sitcoms like The Jeffersons, to blockbuster dramas like Roots, explores the emerging opportunities for Black voices in sci-fi and horror, and examines the cultural impact of the reality and unscripted genre on Black culture. Each episode in this five-part series explores the impact of these stories not only on their creators, but on the audiences watching them, forging connections and building communities of shared experience.

See It Loud features interviews with Amanda Seales, Anika Noni Rose, Daniel Ezra, Da'Vinchi, Debbie Allen, Deon Cole, Desus & Mero, Gabrielle Union, Jimmie Walker, Judge Greg Mathis, Kevin Frazier, Lamorne Morris, Laz Alonso, Loni Love, Lynn Whitfield, Mo'Nique, Naturi Naughton, Omari Hardwick, Ray J, Ruben Studdard, Sherri Shepherd, Sonequa Martin-Green, Tatyana Ali, Tiffany Pollard, Tisha Campbell, Vivica A. Fox, and many more.

View the trailer.

Netflix stars hit the stage from Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo, Brazil on Saturday for Tudum: A Global Fan Event. Hosts Chase Stokes (Outer Banks), Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever), and Maisa (Back to 15) were joined by thousands of fans in person and many more globally on YouTube.com/Netflix as we shared breaking news, exclusive first looks, trailers and clips, in addition to appearances from the creators and stars behind your favorite Netflix series, films and games. Among the most noteworthy for television were:

Squid Game: The Challenge: This year, the game you love becomes reality. Here's your first sneak peek at how the brand-new competition series is coming to life.
Squid Game: Speaking of everyone's favorite game, we announced that stars Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-Hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo will all be returning for Season 2. Plus: Meet the four new actors joining the cast.
YOU: Penn Badgley shared a super-early tease about what fans can expect in the fifth and final season.
Bridgerton: Alert the Ton! Your first look at Penelope and Colin in Season 3 has arrived.
Emily in Paris: Lily Collins revealed that Season 4 will take fans - and Emily - on a Roman holiday!
Cobra Kai: Fighting positions! The cast is getting pumped for its sixth and final season.
The Archies: You've seen them in comics, in books, and in Riverdale - but this time around, they're traveling to 1960s India - and we have your first look.
The Witcher: Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, and Joey Batey debuted a brand new clip from Season 3.
Outer Banks: New looks. New season. Same Pogues. Chase Stokes shared a sneak peek live from the Tudum stage of the cast back in action and gearing up for Season 4.
FUBAR: He'll be back! Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that the series has been renewed for Season 2.
Stranger Things: A friendship between two action icons spanning more than 30 years! Arnold introduced his Terminator 2: Judgment Day co-star Linda Hamilton, who announced via video that she's joining the cast of Stranger Things 5.

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

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Labels: Bridgerton, CNN, Cobra Kai, Emily in Paris, Netflix, Never Have I Ever, You

SitcomsOnline Digest: Could Wilmer Valderrama Reprise Fez Role?; CNN+ Announces Shutdown After Less Than One Month

  Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's not a fast paced week (but we're about to head in to some weeks that will be), but we've got some (potential) casting news about a spinoff of a popular series, some news about some streaming outlets, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Could Wilmer Valderrama be reprising his role of Fez on the That '70s Show spinoff on Netflix? Maybe. (TV Insider)
• CNN+, which had an expensive launch with big name talent less than a month ago, is already shutting down next week. (Variety)
• Meanwhile, streaming giant Netflix is losing subscribers, so what is coming next? (Deadline)
• Stephen Colbert is off the job for a little while due to having COVID. (Yahoo!)
• The show may not have a host, but another contestant is setting records for Jeopardy!. (Deadline)
• It feels like The Goldbergs just debuted a few years ago, but it's been longer than that, and now it has been renewed for a 10th season. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (APRIL 23 - APRIL 29)

• Decades has a binge of The Pretender this weekend.
• A new season of Barry arrives tomorrow on HBO.
• The final episodes of Grace and Frankie and Ozark arrive Friday on Netflix.

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

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Labels: CNN, Netflix, SitcomsOnline Digest, That '70s Show, The Goldbergs

Fri-Yay: CNN's History of the Sitcom Looks Like a Treat for Sitcom Fans; Rutherford Falls Renewed for 2nd Season; Remembering Suzzanne Douglas of The Parent 'Hood

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 summer is usually a pretty slow time for sitcom news, but sitcom fans have an interesting treat starting this Sunday. CNN is airing an 8-part series History of the Sitcom, which is from the same producers who did the similar series The Story of Late Night. The show will walk viewers through 60 years of sitcoms on TV, from The Dick Van Dyke Show to The Brady Bunch to The Office. According to CNN's own description of the event, the show will "explores the genre through multiple lenses, including themes of family and sex." The first two episodes will air back-to-back on Sunday.

It will be interesting to see how the show deals with the many changing faces of the sitcom through the years. In recent years, the genre of "sitcom" has become more open-ended. For years, it meant a series with a live audience or a laugh track, but obviously that has changed in the past 20 years, to the point where most sitcoms now are single-camera and ditch the laugh track. The show will also talk about modern comedies like Insecure or Master of None, which may not fit the typical "sitcom" feel but still often comedy and interesting viewpoints to their viewers. If you're interested in the evolution of the sitcom, CNN's History of the Sitcom seems like a good choice for you.

Critically-acclaimed Peacock Original comedy series Rutherford Falls from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, has been renewed for a second season. Rutherford Falls represents a breakthrough moment in Native representation in comedy television both in front of and behind the camera. The series is a comedy about two lifelong best friends, Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), who find themselves at a crossroads - quite literally - when their sleepy town gets an unexpected wakeup call. The series stars Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover), Jana Schmieding, Michael Greyeyes (I Know This Much Is True), Jesse Leigh (Heathers) and Dustin Milligan (Schitt's Creek).

Rutherford Falls is one of the largest Indigenous writer's rooms on television with five Native writers staffed on the series including co-creator and executive producer Sierra Teller Ornelas (Navajo), Bobby Wilson (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota), Tai Leclaire(Kanien'kehá:ka [Mohawk Nation]/Mi'kmaq), Jana Schmieding (Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux), and Tazbah Chavez (Bishop Paiute/Diné/San Carlos Apache). Jana Schmieding (Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux) and Michael Greyeyes ([Nêhiyaw (Plains Cree) from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation - Treaty Six Territory in Saskatchewan]) star in the series.

Actress Suzzanne Douglas, who was best known for her role as matriarch Jerri Peterson on The WB sitcom The Parent 'Hood, has died. She died on July 6 at her home on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. She had been suffering from pancreatic cancer in the two years leading up to her death. Ms. Douglas was 64.

Douglas starred as Jerri Peterson on The WB sitcom The Parent' Hood, which aired from 1995 to 1999. The series is about the Petersons, an upper-middle-class black family in Harlem, New York City. Jerri Peterson is a law student and mother of four kids. It ran for five seasons and 90 episodes. The series also starred Robert Townsend, Kenny Blank (seasons 1-3), Reagan Gomez-Preston, Curtis Williams, Ashli Adams, Bobby McGee (season 1), Carol Woods (season 1), Faizon Love (seasons 2-4), Tyrone Dorzell Burton (seasons 4-5) and Kelly Perine (season 5).

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The Cosby Show as Rebecca Shorter in 1990, The Parkers in 1999 and 2000 (2 episodes as Constance McFarland) and Are We There Yet? in 2011.

She starred as Yvette Carruthers on the 1990-1991 Fox dramedy Against the Law. She played Grace Cuffe on the 2019 Netflix crime drama miniseries When They See Us. Some of her other drama credits included Guiding Light, A Man Called Hawk, I'll Fly Away (3 episodes), Angel Street, Touched by an Angel (2 episodes), NYPD Blue, Promised Land (4 episodes), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Good Wife, Bones and Bull.

Douglas starred with Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. in the 1989 film Taps. She played Cissy Houston in the 2015 Lifetime TV movie Whitney. Some of her other film credits included The Inkwell (1994), Jason's Lyric (1994) and How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998).

Ms. Douglas was a talented and versatile actress. She was very funny as the mother on The Parent 'Hood. We thank her for the laughs and entertainment. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our The Parent 'Hood message board. View photos in our galleries.

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

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Labels: CNN, Fri-Yay, History of the Sitcom, Obits, Parent'hood, Peacock, Rutherford Falls, The Parent 'Hood

CNN's History of the Sitcom Premieres July 11; Miracle Workers Returns to TBS for 3rd Season This Summer

CNN Original Series is set to debut a new docuseries this July; History of the Sitcom premiering with back-to-back episodes on Sunday, July 11 at 9pm and 10 pm ET/PT. Following in the footsteps of the popular CNN Original Series examining The Movies and The Story of Late Night, History of the Sitcom reunites audiences with the television friends, families, and co-workers they grew up with while introducing cutting-edge comedies that are sure to be your next binge-watch. The eight-part docuseries produced by Cream Productions features over 180 original interviews with sitcom icons including Norman Lear, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Kim Fields, Tim Allen, Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke, George Lopez, Mel Brooks, Isabella Gomez, Ted Danson, Joey Soloway, Jimmie Walker, Judd Apatow, Dan Levy, Zooey Deschanel, Chuck Lorre, Mara Brock Akil, Helen Hunt and many more, breaking down how sitcoms have helped generations of Americans navigate an ever-shifting cultural landscape.

The premiere episode at 9pm ET/PT titled "American Family" will examine how sitcoms have evolved to reflect the changing face of American families. The following episode at 10pm ET/PT titled "Sexual Revolution" will explore the revolution of sex in sitcoms, including the integration LGBTQ+ storylines in representing a more modern world. Executive producers for History of the Sitcom are David Brady, Kate Harrison Karman, Bill Carter, and John Ealer for Cream Productions, Amy Entelis and Lyle Gamm for CNN Original Series. Following the premiere, the series will regularly air on Sunday nights at 9pm ET/PT on CNN. History of the Sitcom will stream live for subscribers the day of their premieres via CNNgo (at CNN.com/go and via CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TV and Android TV) and on the CNN mobile apps for iOS and Android.

The third season of the top-rated anthology comedy series Miracle Workers, this time transporting cast members Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Karan Soni and Jon Bass to the American Old West. Set in the year 1844, Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail follows an idealistic small-town preacher (Radcliffe) who teams up with a wanted outlaw (Buscemi) and an adventurous prairie wife (Viswanathan) to lead a wagon train west on the Oregon Trail across an American landscape which, much like today, is fraught with both promise and peril. TBS has released the official trailer for Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail as the show has its premiere on Tuesday, July 13 at 10:30 pm ET/PT on TBS.

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

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Labels: CNN, History of the Sitcom, Miracle Workers, TBS

CNN and HLN Announce Slate, with History of Sitcom; Lil Rel Set to Host NBC Game Show

CNN and HLN revealed their Original Series slate for 2020 and 2021 as part of WarnerMedia's ongoing efforts to communicate powerful and flexible ad solutions for advertising partners. Adding to the brand's successful portfolio of premium nonfiction content, CNN will debut two new Original Series for 2020, The Story of Late Night (previously announced) and First Ladies (previously announced), and seven new Original Series for 2021, including Searching for Italy with Stanley Tucci (previously announced), Lincoln: An American President (working title), Diana (wt), History of Sitcom, Jerusalem (wt), Reframed: The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe (wt), and The Woman Who Took Down the KKK. In addition, the Emmy Award-winning series, United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, will return for its fifth season this summer and the seventh season of This is Life with Lisa Ling will return this fall, with new seasons of both series airing in 2021.

Coming in 2020: The Story of Late Night (summer) - produced by Cream Productions, is an eight-part series premiering this summer, that takes viewers on a journey back in time through present day of late-night television's most memorable moments. Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Chelsea Handler, Trevor Noah, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Whoopi Goldberg, George Lopez, along with many other industry insiders, give first-hand, behind-the-scenes accounts of a beloved art form that changed the face of television forever.

Coming in 2021: History of Sitcom - produced by Cream Productions, is an eight-part series that explores the most memorable moments and characters in television history, and the way sitcoms inform and reflect our social, cultural and political landscape.

NBC has named dynamic comedian, actor, writer and producer Lil Rel Howery (The Carmichael Show, Get Out) as host of the new game show, Small Fortune. Howery, who will also serve as executive producer, joins the pint-sized series that will offer contestants the opportunity to amass large sums of money on the smallest of scales. Small Fortune will see teams of three friends compete in the tiniest of challenges for a chance to win big money. In order to win, players must face heart-pounding tasks set in real-world destinations that test their precision and technique. From a shrunken sushi conveyor belt with tiny chopsticks ("Shrunken Sushi") to a mini Ellis Island ("Statue of Liberteeny"), each team must prove their skills on miniature playing fields. Challenges will require considerable dexterity and intense focus because with games this small, there's no room for error as the slightest miscalculation or tremble may result in elimination. To take home the ultimate Small Fortune, teams that make it to the end must tackle one last teeny-tiny but epic game. If players can control their nerves and avoid the slightest mistake, they will walk away with a big cash prize. Small Fortune is set to go into production later this year for air in midseason or summer 2021. 

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

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Labels: CNN, History of Sitcom, HLN, NBC

The History of Comedy Returns to CNN; Showtime Gets First Late Night Talk Show

The critically-acclaimed CNN Original Series The History of Comedy returns for a second season on Sunday, July 15, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). From executive producers Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner (Hazy Mills) with Emmy Award winners Mark Herzog and Christopher G. Cowen (Herzog & Company), and showrunner Stephen J. Morrison, the six-part docuseries examines what makes people laugh and how comedy has affected the social and political landscape throughout history.

The History of Comedy uses archival footage punctuated by contemporary interviews with comedy legends, scholars and current stars including Sean Hayes, Judd Apatow, Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Mo'Nique, Conan O'Brien, Tim Allen, Billy Eichner, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Kenny and Keith Lucas, Mike Myers, W. Kamau Bell, Marc Maron, Whitney Cummings, Jim Jefferies, Rachel Bloom, Jim Gaffigan, Sinbad, Catherine O'Hara and many more. The series returns with an episode about sexual humor and how it pushes the limits of both comfort and political correctness. Additional episodes, airing Sunday nights at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), will explore comedy duos/teams, comedy in animation, sketch comedy, family-friendly comedy and comedy legends gone too soon.

SHOWTIME has ordered a weekly half-hour late-night series starring Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, scheduled for premiere in 2019. The first ever weekly late-night talk show on SHOWTIME will feature popular TV and podcast personalities Desus and Mero, speaking highly off the cuff and chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics and more. Longtime acquaintances Desus (Daniel Baker) and Mero (Joel Martinez) reconnected online in the early days of Twitter, where they unleashed their potent personalities and found themselves kindred spirits. That led to a groundbreaking podcast that the rising stars turned into the weeknight talk show Desus and Mero, developing a feverish following. Bringing a distinct voice to late night, Desus and Mero talk spontaneously about anything and everything - including the toughest topics - but laughs are first and foremost on their agenda. The comedians have also appeared in Uncommon Sense, Joking Off and Guy Code, while continuing to host the Bodega Boys podcast. Produced by SHOWTIME in New York, the show will be executive produced by Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, and Victor Lopez.

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

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Labels: CNN, History of Comedy, Showtime