SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Mark your calendars! TV Land comedy Teachers returns for its final season on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 10:00pm ET/PT. This will also be the final original series for TV Land. The network's most-talked about series Younger is being moved to sister network Paramount Network for season 6 this spring. Teachers revolves around a group of elementary school teachers who are trying to mold the minds of America's youth, but don't have their own lives together at all. Teachers is created by and stars the improv group The Katydids - Caitlin Barlow (Ms. Cannon), Katy Colloton (Ms. Snap), Cate Freedman (Ms. Feldman), Kate Lambert (Ms. Watson), Katie O'Brien (Ms. Bennigan) and Kathryn Renée Thomas (Mrs. Adler).

This January, TV One will launch CLEO TV, a new aspirational lifestyle and entertainment cable network targeting Millennial and Gen X women of color. Derived from the name Cleopatra, one of the most powerful, trendsetting, rule-breaking and iconic women in history, CLEO TV will offer quality content that defies negative and cultural stereotypes of today's modern women. The network promises a unique and diverse lineup of short and long-form programming that reflects the multifaceted interests of this generation. With a bold, fearless and fresh take, CLEO TV gives multicultural young women a destination for content centered around travel, home design, relationships, finances, cooking, talk shows, movies, docu-series, sitcoms and much more. As previously announced, CLEO TV will be broadly distributed on Comcast Xfinity beginning January 19, 2019. Additional affiliate distribution agreements will be announced in the coming months. CLEO TV launch advertisers include CURLS Beauty Brands.

In addition to its original programs and acquired series, CLEO TV's programming slate will include daily talk show Sister Circle Live and syndicated sitcoms that appeal to young women of color such as Girlfriends and Eve. More info on the other sitcom slate and the full schedule is still to come, stay tuned!

Comcast Corporation announced it has selected two new African American majority owned independent networks to be broadly distributed on Comcast Cable systems beginning in January 2019. After a thorough evaluation of dozens of proposals, Comcast selected AFRO and CLEO TV, both of which will provide quality entertainment that highlights and features TV and movie content about African American and black communities. AFRO, a channel from Afrotainment, is a 24-hour polycultural black network mainly broadcasting top-rated Nollywood and black movies, dramas, sitcoms, music, talk, and late night comedy shows. CLEO TV is a lifestyle and entertainment network targeting Millennial and Gen X women of color. Derived from the name Cleopatra, one of the most powerful, trendsetting, rule-breaking and iconic women in history, CLEO TV will offer quality content that defies negative and cultural stereotypes of today’s modern women. The network promises a unique and diverse offering of short-form and long-form content including travel, home design, cooking, talk shows, movies, docu-series, sitcoms and much more.

AFRO and CLEO TV will join over 100 diverse networks available across Xfinity platforms, which offered over 14,000 hours of diverse on demand and online programming in 2017. In 2011, as part of Comcast’s commitments made in connection with the NBCUniversal transaction, Comcast agreed to launch 10 new independently owned and operated networks by 2019, including eight that are minority-owned or -operated. Six minority-owned networks have already launched, including BabyFirst Americas (2012), El Rey (2013), Kids Central (2017), and Primo TV (2017) which are primarily Hispanic American owned and operated; and ASPiRE (2012) and REVOLT (2013) which are majority African American owned. AFRO and CLEO TV will be the next two networks to launch as part of this commitment.

Sydney to the Max, a sitcom introducing 13-year-old actress/musical artist Ruth Righi (Broadway's School of Rock The Musical) in her first leading role, is set to premiere Friday, Jan. 25 at 8:300 p.m. EST/PST, on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW. Created by Mark Reisman (Frasier, Wings, The Exes), the series is geared for kids ages 6-14 and families. It also stars Ian Reed Kesler (Suits), Caroline Rhea (Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Phineas and Ferb), Jackson Dollinger (Puppy Dog Pals), Ava Kolker (Girl Meets World) and Christian J. Simon (The Amazing World of Gumball).

Set in the present day with flashbacks to the 1990s, the comedy revolves around outgoing middle schooler Sydney Reynolds who lives with her single dad Max in the house he grew up in, along with her progressive grandmother Judy - three generations under one roof. As Sydney's preteen pursuits begin to expand with unexpected and funny twists, Max tries to get a better sense of the guidance, perspective and support she needs. Grandma, full of both parental wisdom and wisecracks, has a razor-sharp memory that proves Max's own teenage antics parallel Sydney's. Flashback scenes to a young Max and his best friend Leo juxtapose the funny predicaments invented by Sydney and her vivacious friend Olive. Caroline Rhea plays Judy in both eras. Ian Reed Kesler is adult Max, Jackson Dollinger is young Max, Ava Kolker is Olive and Christian J. Simon is Leo.