SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox and Sony Developing Reimagined Bewitched; Samsung TV Plus Launching AFV Channel

  Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we have news of a reimagining of a classic series (a trend that has sort of died down lately), a new FAST channel for a long-running ABC Sunday night staple, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Would you watch a reimagined version of Bewitched in an hourlong form? Sony and Fox hope you will. (Deadline)
• A new America's Funniest Home Videos FAST channel is set to launch, exclusively for Samsung TV Plus. (Deadline)
• Freeform, which is now available to many more cable subscribers once again after returning to Spectrum, has unveiled some details for their 25 Days of Christmas. (Deadline)
• Jon Stewart is sticking around for another year on The Daily Show. (NBC News)
• The on-going legal dispute between Sony and Paramount over distribution of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune has finally been settled. (Variety)
• Best Medicine, a new comedy, will debut in January on Fox. (SitcomsOnline)

• The Paper arrives on NBC (after already airing on Peacock) on Monday night.
• All in the Family is tomorrow's binge on Catchy Comedy.
• MeTV has their special presentation of the series finale of M*A*S*H on Tuesday for Veterans Day.

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

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Labels: America's Funniest Home Videos, Best Medicine, Bewitched, Daily Show, Freeform, Jeopardy, M*A*S*H, SitcomsOnline Digest, Wheel of Fortune

CBS Brings Back Lingo This Summer; The Daily Show Adds to All-Star News Team

CBS announced the word-twisting game show Lingo, hosted and executive produced by Emmy Award winner RuPaul Charles, will return for its second season Friday, May 24 with two back-to-back episodes (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT). Following the premiere, the series will air in its regular time period Fridays (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs).

Lingo is the supercharged word-twisting, fast-thinking game show. Host RuPaul Charles brings his one-of-a-kind personality to this clever, competitive and unpredictable game where teams of two face off in fast-paced puzzle rounds to guess letters that reveal seemingly simple words. Brand new for season two is the twist where the winner for each one-hour episode, packed with witty commentary and gameplay, goes on to compete in the next episode, allowing for longer winning streaks and even bigger cash prizes.

On the heels of The Daily Show's huge ratings growth, Comedy Central's EMMY(R) Award-winning late-night franchise is expanding its All-Star News Team. The show enlists Troy Iwata, Josh Johnson, and Grace Kuhlenschmidt as Correspondents. They join the existing roster of all-star Correspondents and Contributors making up the Best News Team in Late Night including Ronny Chieng, Desi Lydic, Jordan Klepper, and Michael Kosta, along with Dulcé Sloan and Lewis Black.

Jon Stewart will continue to host every Monday night through the 2024 election cycle, while the News Team will share hosting duties Tuesdays-Thursdays. The award-winning late-night staple will continue to expand and build on its legacy of election coverage, visiting key states and both conventions, bringing different perspectives and deep-diving on a wide range of issues. The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central and is available the following morning on Paramount+, CC.com and the CC App. Tickets can be requested for free at dailyshowtickets.com.

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

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Labels: CBS, Comedy Central, Daily Show, Lingo

Hasan Minhaj: Off With His Head Comedy Tour Expands Into June & July, Including at NJPAC; Comedy Central Orders Golden Axe

Comedian and TV star Hasan Minhaj is on tour for his comedy Off With His Head since September and the tour is expanding into June & July now with more venues and dates added. Hasan Minhaj is as fearless as ever in his entertaining new stand-up show. With his signature irreverent wit, he tackles controversy head-on — from politics to immigration to parenting. The Emmy and Peabody-winning comedian is best known for his Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. He previously served as a correspondent on The Daily Show with both Jon Stewart and Trevor Noah. His comedy specials Homecoming King and The King's Jester are currently on Netflix.

One of the new June additions is in New Jersey. Hasan Minhaj is returning to New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, NJ with this comedy night on Saturday, June 15 at 7PM. Tickets are now on sale. Don't miss your chance to experience this amazing comedy tour by purchasing tickets at NJPAC.org, calling 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722) or by visiting the NJPAC Box Office. Not in the NJ/NY metro area, view other cities on Ticketmaster.

Comedy Central announced a 10-episode order of Golden Axe, a new animated series based on the popular Sega video game series, featuring a star-studded cast including Emmy(R) award winner Matthew Rhys, Danny Pudi, Lisa Gilroy, Liam McIntyre and Carl Tart. The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television and Original Film. In a hilarious and loving homage to Sega's 1989 video game series, Golden Axe follows veteran warriors Ax Battler, Tyris Flare and Gilius Thunderhead as they once again battle to save Yuria from the evil giant Death Adder who just won't seem to stay dead. Fortunately, this time they have the inexperienced and underprepared Hampton Squib on their side.

Matthew Rhys (The Americans, Perry Mason, Brothers and Sisters) will play Gilius Thunderhead, a grumpy battle dwarf with exceptionally poor hygiene and a chip on his shoulder. Danny Pudi (Mythic Quest, Community) as Hampton Squib, a naive, inexperienced first time adventurer who has dreamt of questing his entire life. He hopes his can-do attitude can make up for his inability to actually do stuff. Lisa Gilroy (Jury Duty, Interior Chinatown) as Tyris Flare, a fearsome battle sorceress, deadly in a fight and even deadlier with her sharp wit. Liam McIntyre (Spartacus, The Flash) as Ax Battler, a barbarian warrior with a strict code of honor and sweet golden retriever demeanor. His brawn outweighs his brains, but his heart outweighs his brawn. Carl Tart (Grand Crew, Star Trek: Lower Decks) as Chronos "Evil" Lait, originally from Golden Axe III, is a 100% badass humanoid panther. At least that's how Chronos describes himself. In reality he's uncomfortably cheesy and can't read a room. Fans can anticipate plenty of exciting cameos from the world of Golden Axe.

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

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Labels: Comedy Central, Daily Show, Golden Axe, Hasan Minhaj, NJPAC

SitcomsOnline Digest: Jon Stewart Set to Return to The Daily Show Once a Week; Ted McGinley to Star in Prime Video Series

  Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we are hearing about Jon Stewart's return to The Daily Show, we're learning about a new Prime Video series, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Jon Stewart is returning to The Daily Show, at least once a week for the next few months, but given that the show itself is a long way from finding a permanent host and that the best option is to apparently bring back the "fresh face" from 1999, it has people wondering what the future of late night talk actually is. (Time)
• Prime Video has acquired a series called The Baxters, which will star Roma Downey and Ted McGinley. (Deadline)
• The Golden Bachelor is turning out to be rather successful for ABC. (Deadline)
• Judy Justice is coming to local syndication in the fall. (Variety)
• Jaleel White is set to host a new game show this fall. (Deadline)
• Antenna TV is having another Super Belle Sunday featuring Designing Women on the day of "the big game." (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2)

• Catchy Comedy has a very special binge this weekend featuring some short-lived sitcoms, including Brooklyn Bridge, the sitcom adaptation of Ferris Bueller, and Square Pegs.
• We've been talking about it for months, and for a while we thought we were just being trolled, but every season of My Three Sons has finally arrived on Prime Video.

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

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Labels: Brooklyn Bridge, Daily Show, Ferris Bueller, Flip Side, Jaleel White, Judy Justice, My Three Sons, SitcomsOnline Digest, Square Pegs, The Baxters

NBC Orders Zachary Quinto Series; Prime Video Gets Comedy Special from Daily Show Writer

NBC has given a series order to the pilot Dr. Wolf. Inspired by the books The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and An Anthropologist on Mars, by Oliver Sacks. Inspired by Oliver Sacks' extraordinary life and work, Dr. Wolf follows revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist Oliver Wolf (Zachary Quinto) and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier - the human mind - while also grappling with their own relationships and mental health. Starring Zachary Quinto, Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alexander MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II and Teddy Sears.

Comedian and Writer Dina Hashem is set to release her first Amazon Original stand-up special Dina Hashem: Dark Little Whispers, Executive Produced by fellow comic Sam Morril. The special will premiere on Prime Video on November 10, 2023. In this much-anticipated breakout hour of comedy, Hashem discusses everything from death threats and existential dilemmas, to relationship problems, quiet people, and her upbringing as a first generation Arab-American. Currently a writer on The Daily Show, Hashem was also recently staffed on Season Two of The Sex Lives of College Girls as well as B.J. Novak's FX anthology The Premise. She will be heard voicing the recurring character "Lamby" on Comedian/Actor Ramy Youssef's upcoming animated Amazon series #1 Happy Famiy USA with A24 where she will additionally serve as a writer. Previously her voiceover work was featured on the Apple TV animated show Central Park.

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

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Labels: Amazon Prime, Daily Show, NBC

SitcomsOnline Digest: Frasier Reboot in the Works; CBS Says "No" to Giving Up 10 PM

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're learning more about the Frasier reboot, we're hearing what CBS is saying will NOT be happening to their 10 PM hour, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• A Frasier reboot is coming, but it will be without John Mahoney, since he died in 2018. (Deadline)
• It's looking like NBC will be abandoning the 10 PM hour and Hearst, which owns several broadcast affiliates for all of the major networks, would like to think that other networks will follow, but CBS has already given that a hard "no." (AV Club)
• We knew Trevor Noah was leaving The Daily Show, and now we have an exact date of when that will happen. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Cable and broadcast combined are still dominating TV viewership, but online streaming is becoming a bigger and bigger thing all the time. (Deadline)
• Fox seems to have a lot of confidence in their animated comedies lately, as they've now renewed another animated comedy that has yet to air a single episode for a second season. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (OCTOBER 22 - OCTOBER 28)

• Decades has a binge of The Time Tunnel this weekend.
• A new season of Big Mouth debuts on Thursday on Netflix
• We missed this last week, but the final six episodes of Duncanville, which never aired on Fox, are now available on Hulu.

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

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Labels: CBS, Daily Show, Duncanville, Frasier, Grimsburg, SitcomsOnline Digest

SitcomsOnline Digest: Community to Finally Get a Movie; Marla Gibbs to Appear on Grey's Anatomy

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're learning about a Community movie, a guest role for Marla Gibbs, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Remember "six seasons and a movie?" It seems that Community is finally going to finish up that last part. (Variety)
• Marla Gibbs has been cast in a multi-episode arc on Grey's Anatomy. (Deadline)
• Patti LaBelle is set to guest star in at least two upcoming episodes of The Wonder Years. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Trevor Noah is leaving as host of The Daily Show, though it won't be right away. (Variety)
• A new season of Saturday Night Live debuts tonight, and the cast changes are rather significant. (Hollywood Reporter)
• COZI TV is making some changes to their fall lineup, and we have the full lineup here. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (OCTOBER 1 - OCTOBER 7)

• A new season of Saturday Night Live debuts tonight on NBC.
• Decades has a Laugh-In binge this weekend.
• If you haven't seen the new Munsters movie on Netflix yet, you can catch that this week.

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

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Labels: Community, Daily Show, Grey's Anatomy, Saturday Night Live, SitcomsOnline Digest

Daily Show Correspondent Gets Comedy Special; Fox Gets Jenna Dewan for Dance Show

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Correspondent and stand-up comic, Michael Kosta is set to commence production on his first one-hour stand-up special in his home state of Michigan at Detroit's Gem Theatre on Friday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET. The untitled one-hour special is scheduled to premiere in summer 2020 on Comedy Central. Tickets are free and may be requested at www.tblus.com/michaelk. The Gem Theatre is located at 333 Madison Street in Detroit, MI.

Kosta is a stand-up veteran who has appeared on The Tonight Show, Conan, Late Night with Seth Meyers and @midnight. Kosta has been a fixture on TV since his breakout performance at HBO's U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. Prior to The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Kosta co-created, produced and starred in The Comment Section, guest-hosted Attack of the Show and co-hosted Crowd Goes Wild with Regis Philbin. He also served as a correspondent on The Soup spinoff series The Soup Investigates. Kosta starred in his own stand-up special, Comedy Central Presents: Michael Kosta, and released his comedy album, Comedy for Attractive People, in 2015. He was also recently seen on Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar and This Is Not Happening.

There's a new series slated for mid-season (winter months) on Fox. Actress, producer and dancer Jenna Dewan will host Flirty Dancing, the innovative new series that is part performance, part blind date, and all about romantic chemistry. In the show, complete strangers are each taught half of a dance routine, then meet for the first time on a blind date at a breathtaking location, where they will then dance together without saying a word. In this romantic approach to dating, these singles will push themselves out of their comfort zones in the hope of being swept off their feet, rather than swept to the left or right on a phone.

Flirty Dancing is based on the hit U.K. series of the same name. In a twist to the original format, the U.S. adaptation will feature singles who will perform a different choreographed dance with each of two potential love interests, before choosing the one with whom he/she has the strongest connection. While the singles may not all be professional dancers, the elevated choreography will tell a story reflective of their personal journeys to find love, while also providing clues to the other's personality. Will it be love at first dance?

Multi-hyphenate artist Jenna Dewan is an accomplished dancer, actress, author and host. Her first book, Gracefully You, will be released later this month. Along with Flirty Dancing, Dewan will star in the scripted musical drama television series Soundtrack this winter on Netflix (formerly a Fox pilot). Dewan recently starred in the film The Wedding Year and in the anthology film Berlin, I Love You, the latest feature in the Cities of Love series. She was featured on Fox's medical drama, The Resident as a recurring actress, and served as host of the NBC competition series World of Dance. Additional television credits include Supergirl, Witches of East End, The Playboy Club and American Horror Story: Asylum, along with leading roles in TV movies She Made Them Do It and Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal. Dewan first captivated audiences as the lead in the cult dance film Step Up.

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

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Labels: Comedy Central, Daily Show, Fox

Comedy Central Closes Q2 Strong; Hallmark Channel June Weddings Stunt Scores in Ratings

Comedy Central, the #1 brand in comedy, recorded a strong quarter of ratings growth for Q2 2019, driven by the brand's core, young male demos. Among M18-34, ratings jumped +12% to a 0.25 rating, Comedy Central's biggest year-over-year growth in that demo since 2014. For P18-34, Comedy Central ratings increased +6% (0.21), the second straight quarter that the brand posted growth in the demo. It's the first time since 2014 that the brand grew ratings year over year in consecutive quarters.

Comedy Central also finished the quarter averaging a 0.19 P18-49 total day rating, up +1% from last year. The #1 brand in comedy has now posted year over year ratings growth in 5 of the last 6 quarters. Comedy Central also recorded a stellar June, averaging a 0.27 rating among M18-34, up +21% from the same month last year. The brand earned a 0.19 P18-49 rating, building +3% over a year ago. Comedy Central recorded its best quarter ever with 1.7 billion social streams, up +30% versus the same quarter last year. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah earned 700 million streams on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the quarter, +18% year over year. It is the most engaging late night show in its competitive set across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Hallmark Channel's annual "June Weddings" programming franchise said its final "I Do" of the 2019 wedding season at the end of June, claiming the #1 spot on cable during weekend prime for the entire month of June. The event's five all-new Saturday night original movies averaged a 2.1 Household rating, 2.1 million Total Viewers, and 259,000 Women 25-54. Other key Nielsen highlights (Live +SD): "June Weddings" boosted the network to be the highest-rated and most-watched cable network during weekend prime for the month of June. All five original premieres were the highest-rated and most-watched program of the day on their respective air dates among Households. Premieres reached 8.4 million unduplicated total viewers.

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

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Labels: Comedy Central, Daily Show, Hallmark Channel

SitcomsOnline Digest: Fuller House Set for Season 3 Debut on Full House 30th Anniversary

• Season 3 of Fuller House will debut on Netflix just in time for the 30th anniversary of the series, and will feature a reunion of many of the cast members of Full House (aside, of course, from the Olsen twins who still seem to be holding out). (Deadline)
• If you own an Amazon device with Alexa (or any other similar device), you may want to check your shopping list to make sure it doesn't have any NSFW items on it if you watched the season premiere of South Park. (The Verge)
• It used to be a really big deal when a broadcast series went into syndication, with announcements and plans coming a year or more in advance. It also used to be true that a series on TV Land would be something that has been off the air for a decade or more. Neither of those are true anymore, and that has been made clear by TV Land's acquisition of the series Mom, which begins airing on Monday on the network (and it'll also be airing on CMT and FXX). (Deadline)
• After some initial skepticism, it looks as if Trevor Noah is working out just fine for The Daily Show, as he received a five year renewal this week. (Variety)
• The saga of Alec Baldwin playing Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live has been an on-again, off-again affair (at one point he claimed he wouldn't be doing it again at all, but backed down from that weeks later), but right now, it seems he'll be staying put for the upcoming season. (Rolling Stone)
• Fox News appears to be very close to adding Laura Ingraham to their primetime lineup, which would also mean another shakeup in the lineup. (Variety)
• Big Brother has been a staple of the CBS summer lineup for nearly two decades now, and this winter, they're going to do what every reality show eventually does: a celebrity version. (CNN) 
• TBS has renewed a trio of series. (SitcomsOnline) 

• Living Single - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $29.99): After a very long wait from the first season that was released over a decade ago, the second season of this series finally arrives on DVD.
• Modern Family - The Complete Eighth Season (DVD, $29.98): The hit ABC sitcom returns to DVD in this release.

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 3:30 PM

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Labels: Daily Show, Full House, Fuller House, Mom, SitcomsOnline Digest, South Park

Daily Show Successor Named; ABC Family Picks Up a Scripted Saga to Series

Trevor Noah has been selected to become the next host of the Emmy(R) and Peabody(R) Award-winning The Daily Show. His show's premiere will be announced at a later date. Noah (www.trevornoah.com) joined The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2014 as a contributor. He made his U.S. television debut in 2012 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has also appeared on Late Show with David Letterman, becoming the first South African stand-up comedian to appear on either late night show. Born in South Africa to a black South African mother and a white European father, he has successfully become the top comedian in Africa. Noah has hosted numerous television shows including his own late night talk show in his native country, Tonight with Trevor Noah. The comedian is 31. Jon Stewart's late date has yet to be announced yet. Stay tuned.

ABC Family has picked up its first scripted saga-to-series, Shadowhunters, from The Mortal Instruments franchise. The series will go into production this May in Toronto. Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters follows 18-year-old Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters - human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. When her mother Jocelyn is kidnapped, Clary is thrown into the world of demon hunting with mysterious Shadowhunter Jace and her best friend, Simon. Now living among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves, Clary begins a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about her past and what her future may hold. Cast to be announced at a later date. And also stay tuned for a premiere date at a later date.

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

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Labels: ABC Family, Comedy Central, Daily Show