SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

• Every week for the past few years, we've reminded you of the weekly Catchy Comedy (and before that, Decades) Binge, but this will be the last time as Here's Lucy is featured tomorrow as the last planned binge before they switch to a different Sunday lineup.
• Although NBC is once again using the Winter Olympics as their post-Super Bowl programming rather than debuting a new series, sibling streaming platform Peacock will be debuting their series The 'Burbs on Sunday.
• Antenna TV has a marathon of Designing Women tomorrow.
• Buzzr is now airing the Drew Carey episodes of The Price is Right in addition to the Bob Barker ones
• As we mentioned, there are new Roku channels dedicated to The Bernie Mac Show, Blossom, and Cougar Town.

by Vincent

Last night, NBC's Superstore came to an end. The show has been one of the best network sitcoms of the past decade, and in my mind, one of the most underrated sitcoms of all-time. It's a hilarious show with an excellent ensemble that tackled working class issues that no other show has even come close to tackling, and it deserves to be mentioned in the same conversation as The Office, Community, 30 Rock, The Good Place or any of the other beloved NBC comedies of modern times. The show is also going out with a great season - even though losing America Ferrera and dealing with the issues of the COVID-19 pandemic don't sound like they would make a great Superstore season, they really have. The way Superstore depicts its employees' dealing with the pandemic has made for some great dark and true-to-life humor, and continued its amazing turn of taking serious issues and making funny, thoughtful TV.

At the time I'm writing this, I haven't watched the show's series finale yet. But in some ways, I'm dreading the show's end, just because Superstore has been such a consistent delight these past six years, and I'm not ready for the show to end just yet. With Superstore leaving, it'll leave a huge hole in the network TV landscape, and I truly hope that the show has a revival on streaming the way The Office and Parks and Recreation did - as many people as possible deserve to watch this truly incredible series. So farewell, Superstore, and thanks for all of the laughs and real moments you've given us.

Emmy-winning actress Jessica Walter, who starred as Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development, has died. She died in her sleep at her home in Manhattan, New York, on March 24. Ms. Walter was 80.

Walter's early television guest appearances included Flipper, The Fugitive, The F.B.I., Name of the Game, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, Alias Smith and Jones, Mannix, Banacek, Barnaby Jones, The Magician, Columbo, Hawaii Five-0 and Ironside. She won an Emmy Award in 1975 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her work in the NBC police drama Amy Prentiss. Amy Prentiss was a relatively young investigator who becomes the first female Chief of Detectives for the San Francisco Police Department following the previous chief's death. The series was a spin-off of Ironside.

She had a recurring role as Claudia Bradford in eight episodes the 1984-1985 ABC sitcom Three's a Crowd. Claudia Bradford was Vicky Bradford's (Mary Cadorette) mother and James Bradford's (Robert Mandan) ex-wife. The Three's Company spin-off also starred John Ritter and Alan Campbell.

Walter provided the voice of Fran Sinclair on the 1991-1994 ABC sitcom Dinosaurs. Fran Sinclair was a ten-ton allosaurus who was the mother and homemaker of the Sinclair family. The cast providing voices included Stuart Pankin, Jason Willinger, Sally Struthers, Kevin Clash, Florence Stanley, Sam McMurray and Sherman Hemsley.

Walter starred as Celia Calloway on the 1998-2000 Lifetime sitcom Oh Baby. Celia was the bossy mother of Tracy Calloway (Cynthia Stevenson). The series also starred Joanna Gleason, Matt Champagne, Dina Spybey, Doug Ballard, Jack Coleman, Patrick Kerr and Don McMarcus.

She starred as the scheming alcoholic socialite matriarch Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development. Lucille is the wife of George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) and the mother of Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman). Walter received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series for the role in 2005. The series aired on Fox for three seasons from 2003 to 2005 before being revived by Netflix for seasons four (2013) and five (2018-2019). It also stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross and Ron Howard (narrator).

Walter starred as Elaine Robbins on the 2011-2012 TV Land sitcom Retired at 35. It ran for two seasons and 20 episodes. The series follows a successful New Yorker named David (Johnathan McClain), who decides to leave the rat race and his job in the big city and visit his father (George Segal) and mother (Jessica Walter) who live in a retirement community in Florida. The series also starred Josh McDermitt, Ryan Michelle Bathe (Season 1) and Marissa Jaret Winokur (Season 2).

She starred as Maggie Doyle on the 2014 TV Land sitcom Jennifer Falls. The series follows Jennifer Doyle (Jaime Pressly), a single mother who, after losing her high salary job, has to move back in with her mother, Maggie. It also starred Missi Pyle, Ethlan Suplee, Nora Kirkpatrick and Dylan Gelula.

Walter provided the voice of Malory Hunter on the FX/FXX animated series Archer for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020. Malory Hunter is the mother Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin). The show has been renewed for season 12. Others providing voices include Judy Greer, Amber Nash, Chris Parnell, Adam Reed, Aisha Tyler and Lucky Yates.

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style, Aloha Paradise, Joanie Loves Chachi, The Love Boat, Coach (5 episodes as Susan Miller), You Wish, Just Shoot Me! (as Eve Gallo, the mother of Maya (Laura San Giacomo) and the ex-wife of magazine publisher Jack Gallo (George Segal)), Rules of Engagement, Happy Hour, The Big Bang Theory, The Odd Couple (2016), Difficult People and American Housewife.

She had a supporting role as Phyllis Koster, the wife of David Koster (William Shatner), on the short-lived 1965 CBS police drama For the People. She had a recurring role as Melanie McIntyre, Trapper John's (Pernell Roberts) former wife on the CBS medical drama Trapper John, M.D. from 1979 to 1985. In 1982, she appeared as Anne McPherson on the NBC drama The Round Table. She played Ava Marshall on the short-lived 1983 NBC primetime soap opera Bare Essence. She starred as Connie Lo Verde on the 1988 NBC drama Aaron's Way. She was a regular as Tabitha Wilson on the first half of the first season of 90210 from 2008 to 2009.

Some of her other drama television guest appearances in the 1970s and 1980s included McCloud, The Streets of San Francisco, McMillan and Wife, Wonder Woman, Quincy, M.E., Knots Landing, Matt Houston, Hotel, Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote. Her later guest appearances included Babylon 5, Law & Order, One Life to Live (6 episodes), Jack & Jill, Touched by an Angel, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Saving Grace, Gravity, NCIS and Good Girls.

Her film credits included Play Misty for Me (1971), Grand Prix (1966), The Group (1966), Going Ape! (1981), Spring Fever (1983), The Flamingo Kid (1984) and PCU (1994).

Ms. Walter was a brilliant actress. She was so funny and memorable as Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development. She made everything she appeared in much better. 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 Arrested Development messsage board. View photos in our galleries.

Character actor Richard Gilliland, who appeared as J.D. Shackelford on Designing Women, has died. He died on March 18 following a short illness in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Gilliland was 71.

Gilliland starred as Lt. Nick Holden in the first season (1977-1978) of the ABC sitcom Operation Petticoat. Lt. Nick Holden was a wheeler-dealer supply officer. The first season also starred John Astin, Melinda Naud, Yvonne Wilder, Dorrie Thomson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bond Gideon, Richard Brestoff and Jim Varney.

He starred as Tom Stafford on the short-lived 1989 CBS sitcom Heartland. The series was about an old-fashioned farmer named B. L. McCutcheon (Brian Keith) moves in with his daughter (Katie Layman), son-in-law (Richard Gilliland) and their family. The series also starred Jason Kristofer, Devin Ratray and Daisy Keith.

Gilliand starred as Keith Barrow on the short-lived 1983 ABC sitcom Just Our Luck. Keith Barrow was a mild-mannered TV weatherman for KPOX-TV who frees a hip, fun-loving 3,000-year-old genie named Shabu (T.K. Carter) after being imprisoned in his bottle for nearly two centuries. The series also starred Ellen Maxted, Rod McCary, Richard Schaal, Hamilton Camp and Leonard Simon.

He had a recurring role as J.D. Shackelford on 14 episodes of the CBS sitcom Designing Women from 1986 to 1991. J.D. Shackelford was Mary Jo Shively's (Annie Potts) boyfriend who worked as a talent scout for the Atlanta Braves. Gilliland married Jean Smart (Charlene Frazier-Stillfield) in 1987. The series also starred Dixie Carter, Delta Burke (1986-1991), Meschach Taylor, Julia Duffy (Season 6), Jan Hooks (Seasons 6-7) and Judith Ivey (Season 7).

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Mary, Night Court, Valerie, Davis Rules and Becker.

He had a recurring role as Jeffrey Milgrom in seven episodes of thirtysomething from 1989 to 1990. Some of his television drama guest appearances from the 1970 and 1980s included The Streets of San Francisco, Medical Center, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Blue Knight, McMillan and Wife (as Sgt. Steve DiMaggio), Trapper John, M.D., The Waltons, Fantasy Island, Hotel, St. Elsewhere, Hunter, Hearbeat and Jake and the Fatman.

Some of his later guest appearances included Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, Winnetka Road, Touched by an Angel, Dark Skies, Early Edition, The Practice, Party of Five, Judging Amy, Joan of Arcadia, Crossing Jordan, 24, Dexter, Desperate Housewives, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds and Imposters.

Mr. Gilliland was a talented and versatile character actor. He was a familiar face on many sitcoms and other television series over the years. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Designing Women message board. View photos in our galleries.

Netflix, SEGA of America, Inc. ("SEGA"), and WildBrain announce a new animated Sonic the Hedgehog series, Sonic Prime, set to premiere worldwide in 2022. The 24-episode animated adventure for kids, families, and long-time fans draws upon the keystones of the brand and features the "Blue Blur" of video game fame in a high-octane adventure where the fate of a strange new multiverse rests in his gloved hands. Sonic's adventure is about more than a race to save the universe, it's a journey of self-discovery and redemption. The series will be animated at WildBrain's Vancouver studio, and SEGA and WildBrain will jointly participate across production, distribution and licensing. Man of Action Entertainment, creators of Ben 10 and the characters and team in the Academy Award-winning feature Big Hero 6, have been brought on as showrunners and Executive Producers for the series.

Actor Dustin Diamond, who was best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers throughout the Saved by the Bell franchise, has died. He died on February 1 in Florida from small-cell lung carcinoma. He had been diagnosed with the disease in early January. Mr. Diamond was only 44.

Diamond first played the role of Samuel "Screech" Powers in the 1988-1989 Disney Channel sitcom Good Morning, Miss Bliss. It aired for one season and 13 episodes. The series focuses on the life of junior high school teacher Miss Carrie Bliss (Hayley Mills) at John F. Kennedy Junior High in Indianapolis. Samuel "Screech" Powers was an awkward nerd with a crush on Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies). It also starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Max Battimo, Heather Hopper, T.K. Carter, Joan Ryan and Dennis Haskins.

Good Morning, Miss Bliss was retooled as Saved by the Bell. It premiered on August 20, 1989, and aired on Saturday mornings on NBC. The reformatted series follows a group of high school friends and their principal at the fictional Bayside High School in Los Angeles. It ran for four seasons and 86 episodes. The cast included Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, Lark Voorhies, Leanna Creel (1992-1993) and Dennis Haskins.

NBC aired the spin-off series Saved by the Bell: The College Years starting on May 22, 1993. It aired in primetime for one season and 19 episodes from 1993 to 1994. The series revolves around the six characters getting into trouble each week at the fictitious California University (Cal U), under the watchful eye of Mike Rogers (Bob Golic), their resident adviser. The cast included Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Mario Lopez, Anne Tremko, Kiersten Warren, Patrick Fabian and Holland Taylor (1994).

After the cancellation of Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Diamond continued to play the role of Screech in Saved by the Bell: The New Class starting in the second season. The series follows a new group of students at Bayside High School. Screech returns to Bayside High initially on a work-study program, and later as Mr. Belding's assistant. It ran for 7 seasons and 143 episodes on NBC. He appeared in 67 episodes.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included It's a Living, The Wonder Years (2 episodes), The Munsters Today, Getting By, Hang Time (2 episodes) and Off Centre.

Diamond later did stand up comedy. He appeared on Weakest Link in 2001, Celebrity Boxing 2 in 2002, Celebrity Fit Club in 2007-2008 and Celebrity Big Brother in 2013. In 2009, he published an inside story of the show's cast and crew, from his point of view, titled Behind the Bell. He was an executive producer for the TV movie The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story, which aired on Lifetime on September 1, 2014.

Mr. Diamond did a great job of playing the funny and memorable role of Screech. He appeared as Screech for nearly 13 years across 12 seasons of the Saved by the Bell franchise. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Saved by the Bell message board. View photos in our galleries.

Emmy-winning actor Hal Holbrook, who starred as Evan Evans in Evening Shade, has died. He died on January 23 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Holbrook was 95.

Holbrook had a recurring role as Reese Watson in nine episodes of the CBS sitcom Designing Women from 1986 to 1989. Reese Watson was a widowed and successful Atlanta attorney who was Julia Sugarbaker's (Dixie Carter) love interest. Holbrook was married in real life to Dixie Carter from 1984 until her death in 2010.

He starred as Evan Evans in the 1990-1994 CBS sitcom Evening Shade. Evan Evans was the father of Ava Evans Newton (Marilu Henner). He was the publisher of the local newspaper, The Evening Shade Argus. The series also starred Burt Reynolds, Ossie Davis, Charles Durning, Elizabeth Asheley, Michael Jeter, Jay R. Ferguson, Melissa Martin (1990-1991), Candace Hutson (1991-1994), Jacob Parker, Charlie Dell and Ann Wedgeworth.

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Becker, Good Morning Miami and Hope & Faith.

Holbrook starred as Sen. Hayes Stowe in the 1970-1971 NBC political drama The Bold Ones: The Senator. He won an Emmy Award for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series for the role. He had a recurring role as James Dempsey in the NBC series The Event from 2010 to 2011. Some of his other television credits included The Brighter Day, The Name of the Game, The Outer Limits (2000), Family Law, The West Wing, The Sopranos, NCIS, ER, Sons of Anarchy, Bones, Grey's Anatomy and Hawaii Five-0.

He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ron Franz in Into the Wild (2007). Some of his other film credits included All the President's Men (1971), Julia (1977), The Fog (1980), Creepshow (1982), Wall Street (1987), The Firm (1993), Hercules (1997) and Men of Honor (2000).

He was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on July 11, 2017.

Mr. Holbrook was a wonderful actor who won Emmys five times. He had so many incredible roles during his long career. He will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Evening Shade message board. View photos in our galleries.

Emmy-winning screnwriter and producer Allan Burns, who was the co-creator of The Munsters, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda, has died. He died at his home in Los Angeles, California, on January 30 from Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. Mr. Burns was 85.

Burns and Chris Hayward created The Munsters, which aired for 2 seasons on CBS from 1964 to 1966. The series starred Fred Gwynne, Yvonne DeCarlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick, Beverly Owen (1964) and Pat Priest.

They later created the short-lived 1965-1966 NBC sitcom My Mother the Car. He wrote six episodes of the series. The series starred Jerry Van Dyke, Ann Sothern (voice), Maggie Pierce, Cindy Eilbacher, Randy Whipple and Avery Schreiber.

Burns and James L. Brooks created The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970. The popular CBS sitcom ran for 7 seasons and 168 episodes from 1970 to 1977. Burns and Brooks won Emmys for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 1971 and 1977. The Mary Tyler Moore Show won for Outstanding Comedy Series three years in a row in 1975, 1976 and 1977. Burns wrote eight episodes of the series. The cast included Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight, Valerie Harper (1970-1974), Cloris Leachman (1970-1975), Georgia Engel (1972-1977) and Betty White (1973-1977).

Burns and Brooks created the spin-off series Rhoda. The CBS sitcom ran for five seasons and 110 episodes from 1974 to 1978. The cast included Valerie Harper, Julie Kavner, David Groh (seasons 1-3), Nancy Walker (seasons 1-2, 4-5), Harold Gould (seasons 1-2, 4-5), Ron Silver (seasons 3-4), Ray Buktenica (seasons 3-5), Kennth McMillan (seasons 4-5) and Lorenzo Music (voice only).

He won his first Emmy in 1968 for his work on the CBS sitcom He & She. He wrote 10 episodes of the series from 1967 to 1968. Some of his other sitcom writing credits included Get Smart (11 episodes), Love, American Style (2 episodes), Room 222 (4 episodes), Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers (co-created with James L. Brooks), Rhoda, The Duck Factory, Eisenhower and Lutz (also the creator and directed one episode), FM (also the creator) and Cutters.

His producing credits included Room 222, Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers, Rhoda, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the Duck Factory, Eisenhower and Lutz, FM and Cutters.

Some of his other television writing credits included The Bullwinkle Show, Dudley Do-Right and George of the Jungle. Burns, Brooks and Gene Reynolds created the 1977-1982 CBS drama Lou Grant. He worked as an executive producer on the series from 1977 to 1978.

He was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on February 18, 2004.

Mr. Burns was a six-time Emmy winner. We thank him for his work on many classic sitcoms such as The Munsters, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda. He will be greatly missed.

Television producer and executive Jamie Tarses, who was the president of ABC Entertainment from 1996 to 1999, has died. She died on February 1 in Los Angeles, from complications from a stroke she had suffered in the fall of 2020. Ms. Tarses was 56.

Tarses worked as a casting director for Perfect Strangers from 1987 to 1988. She helped develop Friends, Mad About You, Frasier, NewsRadio and Caroline in the City while working at NBC.

She was the president of ABC Entertainment from 1996 to 1999, the first woman and one of the youngest people to hold such a post in an American broadcast network.

Tarses was co-producer of the 2006-2010 TBS sitcom My Boys. Some of her other sitcom producing credits included Mad Love, Mr. Sunshine, Happy Endings, Men at Work, Marry Me, Your Family or Mine, The Mayor and Champaign ILL.

Ms. Tarses helped develop and produce many sitcoms during her career. We thank her for the sitcoms she brought us. She will be deeply missed.

Television writer, producer, actor, and comedian Marc Wilmore, who worked on The PJs, The Simpsons and F Is for Family, has died. He died on January 30 from COVID-19 complications. Mr. Wilmore was 57.

Wilmore provided the voice of Walter Burkett for the 1999-2001 Fox/WB animated sitcom The PJs. He also wrote two episodes and worked as an executive story editor for 41 episodes.

Some of his other voice acting credits included The Simpsons and F Is for Family. He appeared in a 2000 episode of Manhattan, AZ.

Some of his other writing credits included Harry and the Hendersons, The Simpsons (12 episodes) and F Is for Family (3 episodes). He worked as an executive producer on The Simpsons and F Is for Family.

He was a regular cast member of the sketch comedy series In Living Color for the show's final season. He also worked on the series as a writer for 54 episodes from 1992 to 1994.

Mr. Wilmore was an Emmy winner in 2008 for his work on The Simpsons and a 10-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee. He was the brother of comedian Larry Wilmore. We thank him for his work on many television series. He will be greatly missed.

Antenna TV is making some minor schedule changes this summer. The changes begin on Monday, June 29, 2020, mostly affecting late night and weekends. Designing Women will air earlier now on weeknights, moving to 11:00pm & 11:30pm, shifting Coach to 12:00am & 12:30am. Other changes happening in late night are: NewsRadio moving to a later slot at 2:00am & 2:30am, while Family Ties and Growing Pains will air in the 4am and 5am hours, as It's a Living and Mork & Mindy are off the weekday schedule. Onto weekends, Benson and What's Happening Now!! will switch days from 5-6pm, with Benson now on Saturdays and What's Happening Now!! on Sundays. McHale's Navy moves to a later slot on Saturdays from 12am-1am, while Father Knows Best takes its Saturdays at 7-8pm slot. Lotsa Luck and The Paul Lynde Show move from Saturday late fringe to Sunday mornings from 6-7am, cutting the two-hour Soap block to just 7-8am. Benson will now follow from 8-9am, while Maude moves to 10-11am, replacing Welcome Back Kotter, now completely off the schedule. And finally, Dear John returns to the line-up and will air Sundays from 11pm-12am instead of Designing Women, while It's a Living is relegated to Sunday nights from 1-2am. That's all the changes, as everything else remains the same. In essence, Welcome Back Kotter is off the line-up, while Dear John returns. The Antenna TV lineup will change again in the fall with the addition of Who's the Boss?

USA Network's upcoming series Cannonball will now premiere first as a sneak peek on NBC on Monday, June 29 at 10:00pm ET/PT and will then air on Sundays from July 12-August 9 at 7:00pm ET/PT, following original episodes on USA Network on Thursdays at 8:00pm starting July 9. Hosted by WWE Superstar Mike "The Miz" Mizanin and Rocsi Diaz with sideline reporting from Simon Gibson, Cannonball features contestants from all across America as they face off in a variety of water obstacles in one of the biggest, wettest, slippery-est water sports competition ever created. From sliding off a 100-foot waterslide to rocketing off one of the world’s fastest drop towers, contestants will battle a variety of water obstacles to win a $10K cash prize. 

Antenna TV is adding quite a bit of new series to its lineup in January, as we mentioned. Series joining the schedule are Designing Women, Diff'rent Strokes, It's a Living, NewsRadio, That Girl and The Facts of Life. With all these additions, only What's Happening!! is on hiatus and the 90-minute weekend episodes of Johnny Carson are off the lineup. You can catch That Girl weekdays at 12:00pm & 12:30pm and Saturdays at 11:00pm & 11:30pm. The Facts of Life will air weekdays at 3:00pm & 3:30pm and weekends at 1:00pm & 1:30pm. Diff'rent Strokes will pair up with Facts and air weekdays at 4:00pm & 4:30pm and weekends at 12:00pm & 12:30pm. It's a Living will kick-off the new primetime lineup weeknights at 8:00pm and Sundays at 10:00pm & 10:30pm. Designing Women will air weeknights at 10:00pm and Sundays at 11:00pm & 11:30pm. And finally NewsRadio will air six nights a week at 12:30am from Sun-Fri.

The rest of the lineup features series moving to new time periods. New timeslots include Benson weeknights at 6pm, Three's Company weeknights at 8:30pm, Family Ties & Growing Pains back in prime in the 9pm hour and Murphy Brown at 10:30pm. Weekend afternoons will be all '80s with new additions Strokes and Facts kicking it off at noon, continuing with Gimme a Break!, Webster, 227 and What's Happening Now!! on Saturdays and Benson on Sundays, all from 12pm-6pm. The '80s fun is extended on Sundays with Silver Spoons, Head of the Class, Growing Pains, Hogan's Family, Family Ties and My Two Dads from 6pm-9pm. View the full Antenna TV Winter 2020 Schedule.

Netflix has ordered a second season of comedy series Special from Warner Bros. TV, Jim Parsons' That's Wonderful, and Stage 13. The series premiered season one last April. Based on Ryan O'Connell's part-memoir, part-manifesto I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, the hilarious and heartwarming story centers on a gay man with mild cerebral palsy who decides to rewrite his identity as an accident victim and finally go after the life he wants. O'Connell stars in this semi-autobiographical series, which he also wrote and executive produced. The series also stars Jessica Hecht, Punam Patel, Marla Mindelle, Augustus Prew, and Patrick Fabian. Jim Parsons, Eric Norsoph and Todd Spiewak serve as executive producers for That's Wonderful Productions.

by Vincent

ABC is next up in our check-in of returning sitcom slates. ABC has been a big center of family comedies in recent years, and that mostly continues in 2019-2020. Let's jump into their line-up:

Returning sitcoms: ABC's solid block of family sitcoms are all returning, from Modern Family to The Goldbergs to The Conners to black-ish to Fresh Off the Boat. The big change, though, will be coming after this TV season, as the upcoming 11th season will be the final season of Modern Family. Just as CBS is scrambling to find its Big Bang replacement, ABC is likely doing the same thing with Modern Family - with the big caveat that ABC does have The Conners, which actually rated higher than Modern last season and is returning as the network's biggest ratings hit. Whether The Conners will be able to keep its strong Season 1 numbers now that we're fairly far removed from the Roseanne situation and hype is certainly a question, but even if it can maintain half of its Season 1 audience, it'll be a big hit for the network. Otherwise, except more of the same from the anchor sitcoms - The Goldbergs and black-ish continue to be strong tentpoles, Fresh Off the Boat is holding down the fort on Fridays, and promising sophomores Bless This Mess, Single Parents and Schooled are also back on the line-up hoping to build on their respectable Season 1 showings. The only real downgrade is American Housewife, which gets bumped to Fridays after just a so-so rated third season last year.

New sitcoms: There's only one new sitcom on ABC's fall schedule, the black-ish spin off mixed-ish, which follows Rainbow's upbringing. First spinoff grown-ish has been a fairly strong hit for Freeform, so it makes sense that ABC is continuing to build off the solid black-ish brand. Still, it's somewhat surprising to not see more new comedies, but I guess ABC is thinking "if it's not broke, don't fix it." Though ABC does have multi-camera sitcom United We Fall waiting in the wings for mid-season that could be a potential companion for The Conners.

The bottom line: ABC is probably in the best place sitcom-wise of all four networks. They have a really strong core of anchors and enough solid performers to fill two and a half entire blocks and not have any real weak spots. It says a lot that ABC felt they could essentially bring back their entire slate last season and not have to add many new pieces. Yes, there are some questions - will The Conners be as big in Season 2 as Season 1? Is anything being set up to take over for Modern Family? Can the modest sophomore hits like Bless This Mess, Single Parents and Schooled step up and become anchors in their second season the way shows like The Goldbergs and black-ish were eventually able to? Those are questions that will eventually have to be answered, but for now, things are good in sitcom land at ABC.

Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast network, announced the addition of five classic series to the network's 2020 lineup, with four sitcoms starting in January 2020 and one in Fall 2020. Antenna TV, which airs in 136 TV markets across the U.S. reaching 89% of TV households, continues to aggressively invest in programming acquisitions. Beginning in January 2020, Antenna TV will add The Facts of Life, Diff'rent Strokes, Designing Women and NewsRadio. In Fall 2020, Who's the Boss? will join the lineup. All five series come from Sony Pictures Television and originally aired in the late '70s through late '90s. Diff'rent Strokes and NewsRadio are returning to Antenna TV in new deals, while The Facts of Life, Designing Women and Who's the Boss? are brand new to Antenna TV! Both Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life are currently airing on MeTV, but will migrate over to Antenna TV by Jan. 2020. Designing Women was last seen on getTV, while NewsRadio hasn't aired since Antenna TV last aired it and Who's the Boss? is coming to a multicast network for the first time.

In a deal with Sony Pictures Television (SPT), Hulu has announced that it has acquired the rights to fan favorite comedy Designing Women set to stream on Hulu August 26...Women's Equality Day! Superfans can catch the entire series (163 episodes across 7 Seasons) starting August 26 to relive the 80's hit following the women's no-nonsense wit, humor and day-to-day antics!

The iconic, trailblazing comedy which ran on CBS from 1986-1993, follows outspoken owner Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter), as she runs a design firm out of her Atlanta home along with her self-absorbed, ex-beauty queen sister, Suzanne (Delta Burke), divorced sassy mother Mary Jo (Annie Potts), and naive country girl Charlene (Jean Smart). The feminist, feisty, females discuss everything going on in their lives, from sex and love to politics and religion, all in the confines of their Victorian Georgian office. Ex-con handyman and token male of the series, Anthony Bouvier (Meshach Taylor), offers his help not only at the firm, but also offers his opinions on all of the ladies personal matters.

During the Television Critics Association's Summer Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton they presented the company's lineup of upcoming original programming including Wu-Tang: An American Saga from Brian Grazer and The RZA, comedy Dollface starring Kat Dennings, drama Looking for Alaska, based on the best-selling novel by John Green and produced by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, drama Reprisal from Warren Littlefield and starring Abigail Spencer and Mindy Kaling's comedy reimagining of Four Weddings and a Funeral, all of which join the company's collection of premium original content. In addition, they announced new comedy series Love, Beth produced by and starring Emmy(R)Award-winner Amy Schumer and expanded the company's foray into original food programming with an untitled new series starring Padma Lakshmi. And finally, Academy Award(R) and Golden Globe(R) Award-Winner Mahershala Ali joins the second season of groundbreaking comedy series, Ramy.

We have some exclusive news for you. Modern Family star Ariel Winter will guest star on an episode of the upcoming 21st season of Law & Order: SVU on NBC. Winter has been filming the episode as of last week in New York City and has hinted on Instagram that she is filming something new that she is excited about. Details of the episode and her character are being kept under wraps. Winter, who plays Alex Dunphy on the hit ABC sitcom Modern Family, is an avid fan of Law & Order: SVU, so this appearance is a dream come true for her. Winter was also in the movie The Last Movie Star starring the late Burt Reynolds last year and stars as the voice of Sofia on the Disney series Sofia the First. No airdate has been set yet for her SVU episode (it should be an early episode for this season), but Law & Order: SVU returns with its 21st season on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 10|9c on NBC. And Modern Family returns for its 11th and final season on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 9|8c on ABC.

truTV is going back to school with the season three premiere of its scripted comedy Those Who Can't on Monday, January 14, 2019 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Created by and starring Adam Cayton-Holland, Andrew Orvedahl and Ben Roy, members of the Denver-based comedy troupe The Grawlix, with Maria Thayer starring alongside, the series is truTV's first-ever scripted project which premiered in 2016. It follows the faculty members of the fictional Smoot High in Denver, Colorado who are more inept than the kids they teach, and the outlandish exploits that take place inside the school's walls. The series' third season includes 13 half-hour episodes. The series stars show creators and executive producers Adam Cayton-Holland, Andrew Orvedahl, and Ben Roy - all members of the Denver-based comedy troupe The Grawlix - as trouble-making high school teachers at Smoot High. They are joined by Maria Thayer as the school's librarian. Throughout its first two seasons, the show has featured an impressive roster of guest stars including Susie Essman, Kyle Kinane, Hana Mae Lee, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patton Oswalt, Cheri Oteri, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Rory Scovel, Baron Vaughn and many more.

by Vincent

Just when you thought reboot fever might be dying down, it's back again. That's right...reboot fever is back in action with talks of a Designing Women reboot as well as some "murmurs" of a Frasier revival.

We'll start with the Frasier reboot, reports of which surfaced a few weeks ago. Deadline reported that Kelsey Grammar is interested in the idea of a Frasier reboot that would "explore the idea of Frasier in a new city." Although no deal seems imminent, talks are that Grammar is shopping the reboot at different networks, and it seems to be at least a possibility. The Designing Women reboot is in similarly nascent stages, although it seems a bit further along as it has Sony on board. Supposedly, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony has tapped on original series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason to re-create the series in a way it speaks to "the politically divided state of our current nation" (which is interesting as the original Designing Women never seemed particularly political.) It seems as if the Designing Women reboot would be more of a fresh reboot with a new cast a la the new One Day at a Time rather than a continuation like the new seasons of Roseanne and Murphy Brown.

Personally, it really seems to me as if this is getting a bit out of control. Of these two remakes, the Frasier remake makes at least a little bit more sense, as Frasier has gained some surprising momentum as a Netflix favorite for millennials. But I'm still unsure that either of these long-running series are exactly dying to be revisited. I really wish the TV industry would focus a bit more on fresh ideas rather than drudging up the past. Nevertheless, more remakes and reboots are set to come to TV this fall - the new season of Murphy Brown will be premiering on CBS in the fall, as well as a rebooted version of Charmed on The CW. Whether I like it or not, it certainly seems as if reboot culture is here to stay.

E! brings viewers all the best in pop culture as the new late night talk show, Busy Tonight, hosted and executive produced by actress and social media sensation, Busy Philipps (Cougar Town), premieres on Sunday, October 28 at 10pm ET/PT. The half hour talk show, airing every Sunday through Wednesday, will feature everyone's favorite unfiltered Hollywood best friend giving her hilarious and outspoken opinions on the latest pop culture stories and trending topics with candid celebrity guest interviews and original comedic segments. The network has also tapped former Co-Executive Producer of Bravo Media's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Caissie St.Onge, to serve as showrunner.

Longtime writer and producer, Caissie St.Onge, joins Busy Tonight after nine years with Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and has previously worked on popular, Emmy-winning talk shows such as The Rosie O'Donnell Show and The Late Show with David Letterman.

Sanford and Son, Good Times and All in the Family are leaving Antenna TV at the end of this month, but it looks like getTV have picked up the rights to those series come Jan. 1. All three series will start on Jan. 1 with a New Year's Day marathon from 6am-4am, with various blocks. All three series will join the schedule on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Good Times will air weekdays at 5:00pm & 5:30pm and again at 12:00am & 12:30am. Sanford and Son will air weekdays at 6:00pm & 6:30pm and again at 11:00pm & 11:30pm. And All in the Family gets the 7:00pm & 7:30pm half-hours and again at 10pm & 10:30pm. Also being quietly added to getTV will be the Brad Garrett/Joely Fisher sitcom 'Til Death, airing weeknights at 1:00am & 1:30am. It looks like Designing Women will be off the regular schedule but the sitcom will get a marathon on Monday, Jan. 8 in the early hours of 12am-6am. Other series airing on getTV still are 7th Heaven, In the Heat of the Night, Airwolf and Ghost Whisperer. Also getting some play is the ABC '80s variety series Dolly starring Dolly Parton.

Misery loves a company and that company is Hampton DeVille. From Pat Bishop, Matt Ingebretson, and Jake Weisman comes a dark, edgy workplace comedy unlike any other. Comedy Central's newest scripted series, Corporate, takes you inside Hampton Deville - your average, soulless multi-national corporation - and follows the miserable lives of two downtrodden employees. Corporate premieres Wednesday, January 17 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT with back-to-back episodes, as well as special bonus content. Beginning today (Wednesday, Dec. 13), TV subscribers can stream the first four episodes of the series exclusively on cc.com and the Comedy Central App or watch via their preferred TV provider's video-on-demand (VOD) service.

Corporate stars series' creators/writers/executive producers Matt Ingebretson and Jake Weisman as two Junior Executives-in-Training at Hampton DeVille, a heartless, corporate hell-hole led by tyrannical CEO Christian DeVille (Lance Reddick) and his top lieutenants, sycophants John and Kate (Adam Lustick and Anne Dudek). As Matt and Jake navigate an ever-revolving series of disasters their only ally is Grace (Aparna Nancherla), a Hampton DeVille Human Resources rep who is beleaguered by both her job and her exhausting relationship with the very needy Matt and Jake. Guest stars across the first season include Anna Akana, Jon Daly, Philip Baker Hall, Natasha Lyonne, Aimee Mann, Rory Scovel, Baron Vaughn, Kate Walsh and Fred Willard.

In the premiere episode ("The Void") Matt and Jake are given their first bit of power as Junior Executives-in-Training when they are tasked with firing an employee who sent out an insensitive tweet from Hampton DeVille's Twitter account. With the internet outraged by the tweet and calling for a boycott of the company's latest product on the day of launch, the guys have to literally talk the fired employee off the ledge with the only thing a depressed corporate drone has to live for: a slice of birthday cake.