SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

SitcomsOnline Digest: Trailer Released for The Paper; ABC Gives Pilot Order to Do You Want Kids?

   Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's a light news week, but we've got a preview for an upcoming Peacock series, news of an ABC comedy pilot order, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• A trailer has been released for The Paper, the upcoming Peacock follow-up series to The Office. (Variety)
• The new Clueless series is still in the "baby stages" it seems. (Deadline)
• ABC has given a pilot order to a new comedy, Do You Want Kids? (Deadline)
• In what seems to have been the most dramatic media acquisition ever, Skydance Media has finally finished the acquisition of Paramount. (The Verge)
• Jon Miyahara, who is known for his role on Superstore, has died at 83. (Entertainment Weekly)
• Loni Anderson of WKRP in Cincinnati has died. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (AUGUST 9 - AUGUST 15)

SitcomsOnline Digest: Clueless Reboot in the Works at Peacock; King of the Hill Cast Reunion and Revival Preview at ATX TV Festival Next Month

 Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing about a new Clueless series, (a little bit) more about the revival of King of the Hill, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Although she didn't play the role in the ABC/UPN sitcom, Alicia Silverstone is looking to bring her movie role from Clueless to a new TV series at Peacock. (Variety)
• We still don't know when it's going to debut, but we at least have a cast reunion and revival sneak preview set for King of the Hill at the ATX TV Festival next month. (Deadline)
• NBC has Foreign Service, a workplace comedy about working at a U.S. embassy abroad, in the works. (Deadline)
• The back and forth drama between Sony and CBS over distribution of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune continues this week, and now CBS has once again regained control of distribution (at least temporarily), and there are rumors that Sony may be looking to move (or at least offer same day streaming of) the shows to streaming once they regain full control. (Variety)
• We all knew that DVD and Blu-ray sales have dropped since streaming became mainstream, but just how bad is it? A whopping 90% in the past ten years. (Cord Cutters News)
• Nicky Katt, known to TV audiences for his role as Harry Senate in Boston Public, died this week at age 54. (Variety)
• Wink Martindale, one of the last surviving game show hosts from the golden era of game shows, has died. (NPR)
• Classic TV comes to life at an event at the Paley Center in New York City, if you can get there in the next few days. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (APRIL 19 - APRIL 25)

• Tomorrow's binge on Catchy Comedy is The Monkees.
• Antenna TV has a Becker marathon tomorrow.

ABC Fall 2024 Premiere Dates; Remembering Doug Sheehan of Day by Day and Clueless and Benji Gregory of ALF

ABC announced premiere dates for the network's action-packed fall, featuring previously announced fan-favorite series, high-octane new dramas and The Bachelor franchise's newest iteration. This news comes on the heels of the network closing out the 2023-2024 season as No. 1 in entertainment among Adults 18-49 for the fifth consecutive season, marking the longest winning streak in over 10 years. Monday Night Football returns for select weeks beginning Sept. 9 (New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers). Then, on Monday, Oct. 7, beloved game shows join the lineup with Pat Sajak's final spin hosting Celebrity Wheel of Fortune leading into Elizabeth Banks-hosted Press Your Luck.

From Oscar®-nominated writer Drew Goddard and starring Kaitlin Olson, freshman crime procedural High Potential joins ballroom sensation Dancing with the Stars on Tuesdays, kicking off Sept. 17. The Golden Bachelorette makes its debut Wednesday, Sept. 18 with two-hour episodes for the first few weeks, with new leading lady Joan Vassos; and a new season of Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning comedy Abbott Elementary joins the night Oct. 9 at 9:30pm, followed by the ABC News Studios docuseries Scamanda. Then, from executive producer Ryan Murphy and starring Joshua Jackson and Don Johnson, highly anticipated new drama Doctor Odyssey debuts Thursday, Sept. 26 at 9pm, alongside 9-1-1 and the longest-running primetime medical drama in television history, Grey's Anatomy.

A new season of ABC News' 20/20 premieres Friday, Sept. 20, and season 16 of Shark Tank dives into the night starting Oct. 18. America’s Funniest Home Videos celebrates its monumental 35th season beginning Sunday, Sept. 29, before The Wonderful World of Disney world television premiere of the live-action The Little Mermaid. Additional films to debut this season include the world television premieres of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Haunted Mansion, as well as the broadcast premiere of Hocus Pocus 2. Airdates and additional movies to be announced at a later date. As previously announced, new seasons of returning dramas The Rookie and Will Trent will debut midseason (January), along with the celebratory farewell season of legacy comedy The Conners. Also returning midseason are American Idol, The Bachelor, Celebrity Jeopardy! and What Would You Do?, while Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, from executive producer Reese Witherspoon and hosted by world-renowned organizing duo Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin of The Home Edit, is also set to debut. These premiere dates will be announced at a later date.

Actor Doug Sheehan, who starred as Brian Harper in Day by Day and as Mel Horowitz in Clueless, has died. He died at his home in Big Horn, Wyoming, on June 29. Mr. Sheehan was 75.

Sheehan starred as Brian Harper in the 1988-1989 NBC sitcom Day by Day. The show centers on Brian and Kate Harper (Linda Kelsey), a married couple with two successful careers (Brian as a stockbroker, Kate as a lawyer) and a teenage son named Ross (Christopher Daniel ("C.B.") Barnes). They open a daycare center in their home. The series also starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Courtney Thorne-Smith and Thora Birch.

He starred as Mel Horowitz in the UPN sitcom Clueless for seasons 2 and 3 (1997-1999). Mel Horowitz is Cher Horowitz's (Rachel Blanchard) rich, widowed lawyer. He replaced Michael Lerner, who played Mel Horowitz during the first season (1996-1997), which aired on ABC. The cast included Stacey Dash, Donald Adeosun Faison, Elisa Donovan, Sean Holland, David Lascher (season 1), Twink Caplan (season 1), Wallace Shawn (season 1), Heather Gottlieb (season 1) and Julie Brown.

Sheehan played Edward Spellman, Sabrina Spellman's (Melissa Joan Hart) father, in two episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Cheers, Alice, Dear John and Style & Substance.

His first major role was as Joe Kelly in the daytime soap opera General Hospital from 1979 to 1982. He was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role in 1982.

He starred as journalist Ben Gibson in the CBS primetime soap opera Knots Landing from 1983 to 1987. Ben Gibson was the second husband of Valene Ewing (Joan Van Ark).

Some of his other television guest appearances Charlie's Angels (1978), Kaz, MacGyver (1990), Columbo (1993), Promised Land, Diagnosis: Murder, Passions (6 episodes as Mr. Davis) and That Was Then.

Mr. Sheehan was a talented and versatile actor. Day by Day is a funny show with a great cast, which should have had a longer run. It should be available on DVD or streaming. He will be greatly missed.

Actor Benji Gregory, who starred as Brian Tanner in ALF, has died. On June 13, Gregory and his service dog, Hans, were found dead inside a car at a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, Arizona. However, news of his death was not publicly disclosed until July 11, when the cause of his death was still under investigation. His sister Rebecca said he had suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and a sleep disorder and said he likely died of a heat stroke after falling asleep in his car. On September 13, 2024, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner revealed that Gregory died of both hepatic cirrhosis, with Gregory being revealed to have had a damaged liver, and heat exposure. The death was ruled accidental. Mr. Gregory was only 46.

He starred as Brian Tanner in the 1986-1990 NBC sitcom ALF. The title character, called ALF (an acronym for "Alien Life Form") but whose real name is Gordon Shumway, crash-lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family. Brian Tanner is the middlest son of the Tanner family. He is nicknamed 'B' by the rest of the cast. The cast included Paul Fusco (performed and voiced ALF), Max Wright, Anne Scheeden, Liz Sheridan, John LaMotta, Josh Blake, Anne Meara (1987) and Jim J. Bullock (1989-1990).

Gregory appeared as an orphan named Dash in two episodes of Punky Brewster. The final episode in Season 1, titled "Fenster Hall" (aired March 31, 1985), was a failed attempt to create a spin-off of Punky Brewster.

He played Brian in a 1991 episode of Murphy Brown. Some of his other television guest appearances included The A-Team, T.J. Hooker, Amazing Stories and The Twilight Zone (1985). Some of his voice credits included Pound Puppies, Fantastic Max and Back to the Future: The Animated Series (as Biff Tannen Jr.).

He played Harry Carlson, Jr. in Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986). He supplied the voice of Edgar the Mole in the animated feature Once Upon a Forest (1993), which would be his final acting role.

Mr. Gregory was a good child actor. After leaving the acting industry, he served a stint in the U.S. Navy after graduating from school. He enlisted in 2003 and became an aerographer's mate. During his naval career he was assigned to the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). In 2005, he received an honorable medical discharge from the Navy. We thank him for his work on television and in films and for his service in the Navy. He will be sorely missed.

We also remember television executive Jamie Kellner. He was a founding president of Fox Broadcasting and founded The WB network. He died from cancer on June 21 in Montecito, California. Mr. Kellner was 74.

Kellner was present at the establishment of the Fox Broadcasting Company and held the position as chairman of 20th Century Fox Television from 1986 to 1993. Among the shows that emerged during his seven years at Fox were The Simpsons, Married... with Children, Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000), Melrose Place and In Living Color.

He then spent seven years at the helm of The WB Television Network. He helped launch the new broadcast network in 1994. During his tenure, he began by championing urban sitcoms such as The Wayans Bros., The Parent 'Hood and Sister, Sister, but eventually steered the network in the direction of teen and family-oriented dramas. 7th Heaven, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, Dawson's Creek, Felicity and Charmed all premiered during his presidency.

Kellner was made head of Turner Broadcasting System in 2000, officially succeeding Ted Turner in March 2001. He was chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a division of Time Warner which includes TBS, TNT, and Cartoon Network from 2001 to 2003. He was the chairman of station ownership group ACME Communications, a post held from the company's founding until its folding in 2016.

We thank him for the television shows be brought us at Fox, The WB and Turner. He will be missed.

Television producer and screenwriter Jonathan Axelrod worked on Dave's World. He died in Los Angeles on June 13. Mr. Axelrod was 74.

He was executive producer on the 1993-1997 CBS sitcom Dave's World. The series is based on the writing of Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry. The show focuses on the daily trials and tribulations of columnist Dave Barry (Harry Anderson) and his wife, Beth (DeLane Matthews), along with their sons, Tommy (Zane Carney) and Willie (Andrew Ducote).

Some of his other sitcom producing credits included Can't Hurry Love, Brother's Keeper, Movie Stars and Some of My Best Friends. He was one of the writers of the 1972 comedy film Every Little Crook and Nanny.

We thank him for his work on Dave's World and other sitcoms. He will be missed.

Actress Susan Buckner starred as Lucy Davis in When the Whistle Blows. She died on May 2 in Miami, Florida. Ms. Buckner was 72.

Buckner starred as Lucy Davis in the short-lived 1980 ABC sitcom When the Whistle Blows. The series revolves around a group of construction workers – four males (Norm, Buzz, Randy and Hunk) and one female (Lucy) – for the "Tri-State Construction Company" in Los Angeles and their search for fun both on and off the job. It was filmed single-camera style and without a laugh track. The cast included Doug Brown, Philip Brown, Tim Rossovich, Dolph Sweet, Alice Hirson, Gary Allen, Noble Willingham and Sue Ane Langdon.

She appeared as one of The Krofftettes who performed synchronised swimming routines on the 1976-1997 ABC variety show The Brady Bunch Hour.

Buckner played Kim Patterson in a 1979 episode of The Love Boat. Some of her other television guest appearances included Police Woman, Switch, Starsky & Hutch, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (3 episodes) and B.J. and the Bear.

She portrayed high school cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 summer blockbuster Grease, starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. She starred as Vicky Anderson in the 1981 slasher film Deadly Blessing.

Ms. Buckner was crowned Miss Washington in 1971 and in September went on to become a top ten finalist in the Miss America 1972 pageant. We thank her for her work on television and in films. She will be deeply missed.

SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC to Bring Canadian Drama to Primetime; Peacock Working on a Clueless Reboot

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! The pandemic combined with the summer season has made news very slow and sleepy, but we're here with news about some reboots (mostly for Peacock), how Joe Biden's vice-presidential pick relates to our favorite TV series, and more. Let's get going!

• When there's a pandemic, what's old to Canada is new to the US, and that's what NBC has in mind when they bring Canadian medical drama Transplant to the lineup this fall. (TVLine) 
• A Clueless reboot focusing on Dionne is in works for Peacock. (NY Post)
• Duane Tatro isn't a household name, but was the composer for Dynasty and The Love Boat, and now he has died at age 93. (Deadline)
• Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential nominee this week, and following comments of Harris being compared to Marge Simpson, Marge Simpson felt compelled to respond. (CNN)
• Speaking of Kamala Harris, with her being the pick for vice-presidential nominee, it looks like Maya Rudolph is about to get more work (and potentially have her Tina Fey/Sarah Palin moment) at Saturday Night Live. (The Guardian)
• Peacock is bringing on lots of new comedy, and has also released a trailer for their new Saved by the Bell. (SitcomsOnline)
  

WEEKLY PLANNER (AUGUST 15 - AUGUST 21)

• An unaired episode of black-ish from 2018 is now available to watch on Hulu.
• Decades has a binge of Carol Burnett and Friends this weekend.
  
• Right in time for the home stretch of the 2020 presidential election, the political documentary series The Circus returns to Showtime tomorrow night.

FX Orders Atlanta Season 4; Netflix to Turn The Baby-Sitters Club Into Series

The N Brings Back Kenan, Growing Pains; Retro Television Coming to Columbia, SC

As we patiently wait for Nick at Nite's official July schedule with the addition of Malcolm in the Middle, we will bring you the July schedule for sister Viacom network The N. The new The N schedule starts Monday, July 6. The N, like other Viacom networks, likes to double-dip their comedies. Kenan & Kel will return to The N schedule! Starting at 6am we get back-to-back Caitlin's Way, Radio Free Roscoe, Kenan & Kel, Amanda Show, Moesha, and a four-spot of Degrassi from 11am-1pm. Afternoons starting at 1pm its back-to-back Beyond the Break, H2O, Saved by the Bell, Kenan & Kel, Unfabulous, and a four-spot of Zoey 101 from 6-8pm. The four-spots continue from 8pm-6am as well with What I Like About You, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, That '70s Show, What I Like About You, and Moesha. On Fridays, 7pm-8:30pm its Degrassi, followed by the new original series The Assistants at 8:30pm & 9pm for its premiere (then will air 8:30pm only weekly) with encores at 10:30pm & 2am. More Degrassi on Fridays are 9-10:30pm and 11pm-12am. What I Like About You is extended on Fridays from 2-6am instead of just 2-4am.
Weekends is the same as weekdays from 6am-10am. Then we have the four-spots of series from 10am-6pm with Unfabulous, Zoey 101, Degrassi and iCarly. Zoey 101 will air in the 6pm hour on Sundays. Then it gets a bit complicated for the rest of the night on weekends, so I suggest you view that schedule. Growing Pains is returning to the schedule but just once a week on late Sunday nights (early Monday mornings) at 4am ET/PT. The first week it will air at 3:30am, though. It joins a block of Clueless (4:30am) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch (5-6am), as both of those are on just once a week as well. Too bad Growing Pains isn't returning to weekdays in its old 11am hour timeslot.
View and discuss the entire The N July 2009 schedule.

WKTC-My63, Columbia's My Network TV affiliate, is proud to announce that it has signed an exclusive agreement with RTV (Retro Television) to begin broadcasting classic TV programming on its digital subchannel, WKTC-DT2 (63.2), starting tomorrow (Saturday June 20, 2009)!
Daytime programming will include classic comedy hits such as Leave it to Beaver, McHale's Navy, and drama Marcus Welby, while evenings will be filled with hits such as Knight Rider, The A Team, Magnum P.I. and The Rockford Files.