SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

• St. Denis Medical returns for a second season on Monday on NBC.
• You can now watch past seasons of Animal Control (which is surprisingly already in the fourth season, believe it or not) on Netflix.
• Catchy Comedy has a Mama's Family binge tomorrow.
• If you missed the Thursday marathon, Antenna TV has the first (and in many cases second) episodes of all of their shows again today.
• Best Medicine debuts Sunday on Fox, though it will regularly air on Tuesday nights.
• As previously mentioned, Pluto TV now has a FAST channel for The X-Files.

by Vincent

Last week, ABC aired its most recent Live in Front of a Studio Audience edition, which celebrated The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes. As is the case with Live in Front, the show reenacted episodes of these classic sitcoms with modern comedy actors. It continues to surprise me the huge names these shows are able to get, with Jennifer Aniston and Jon Stewart among others participating in the The Facts of Life episode and Kevin Hart in the Diff'rent Strokes episode. The Live in Front reenactments also stay really true to the original episodes, and offer a really fun look back at these classic sitcoms.

Overall, Live in Front is a must watch for any classic sitcom fan. However, it also makes me miss the fun of skilled multi-camera on television. It really is something special to see these huge actors recreating classic sitcom moments they grew up with just like we did. With network TV becoming less and less of a reliable delivery method of high quality scripted entertainment, these live celebrations are a nice reminder of when it was at the heights of its powers.

Cable's #3 comedy American Dad! has been renewed by TBS for seasons 18 and 19. Co-creator Matt Weitzman and executive producer Brian Boyle have inked new deals to continue showrunning and executive producing the additional seasons, from 20th Television Animation. The 17th season of American Dad! premieres on Monday, January 24, on TBS at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT.

American Dad! centers on super patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and the misadventures of his unconventional family in Langley Falls, VA. Stan applies the same drastic measures used in his job at the CIA to his home life, where Stan's blissfully unaware wife, Francine (Wendy Schaal), has an unfaltering loyalty that makes her blind to his unabashed arrogance. His left-wing activist daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), however, doesn't let him off so easily – and knows just how to push her father's buttons. Hayley's brother is the geeky-yet-confident Steve (Scott Grimes), a kid who spends his time playing video games and obsessing about the opposite sex. The Smith cabinet is rounded out by two rather unconventional members: Roger (MacFarlane), a sassy, sarcastic and routinely inappropriate space alien, and Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker), an attention-starved goldfish with the brain of a German Olympic skier.

by Vincent

This week, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia returned for its landmark 15th season on FX. The show has remained one of the funniest shows on TV through and through, and even though it isn't always as consistent as it was in its prime, it's incredible that it still manages to be as funny and consistent as it has been.

Always Sunny season 15 has promised to bring some of the realities of our world to the show's twisted universe. Being the show's first season since 2019, the world has obviously become a very different place since then, and without giving too much away, the premiere addresses this in typically funny Always Sunny ways. The ending of the episode in particular is one for the ages, and shows that even as the world changes, Always Sunny will always be its twisted, reliable self.

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes adds more star power to its cast ahead of the live show airing on ABC, Tuesday, Dec. 7 (8:00-9:30 p.m. EST). Jon Stewart takes on a mystery role in The Facts of Life episode. Who will he play? You'll have to tune-in to see! There will be other special cameos as well. Still no word on which episodes are being recreated, but for Diff'rent Strokes the word is that it will be "Willis' Privacy" from season one which had Arnold as Super Arnold.

The live special event produced by Sony Pictures Television will feature reenactments of the hit series The Facts of Life, created by Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon, and Diff'rent Strokes, created by Bernie Kukoff and Jeff Harris, and will reunite executive producers Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows. Previously announced cast members taking on the famed Diff'rent Strokes roles include John Lithgow, who will play Mr. Drummond; Kevin Hart, assuming the role of Arnold; and Damon Wayans, who will play Willis. The Facts of Life will feature Jennifer Aniston, playing the role of Blair; Gabrielle Union, taking on the role of Tootie; Allison Tolman, who will play Natalie; Kathryn Hahn, recreating the role of Jo; and Ann Dowd, who will tackle the role of Mrs. Garrett in both episodes.

Actor Eddie Mekka, who was best known for his role as Carmine Ragusa on Laverne & Shirley, has died. He died in Newhall, California, on November 27. Mr. Mekka was 69.

Mekka starred as Carmine Ragusa on the 1976-1983 ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley. He appeared in 150 of the 178 episodes during the show's eight seasons. Carmine was Shirley's (Cindy Williams) high-school sweetheart and on-again, off-again romance. He was known by the name "The Big Ragoo" and was a part-time boxer and former Golden Gloves champion. He owns a dance studio and was constantly working to make it big as a dancer and singer. Mekka appeared as Carmine Ragusa in two episodes of Happy Days. The cast of Laverne & Shirley also included Penny Marshall, Michael McKean, David L. Lander, Phil Foster, Betty Garrett (1976-1981), Carole Ita White (1976-1977), Ed Marinaro (1980-1981) and Leslie Easterbrook (1980-1983).

He starred as Joey DeLuca on the short-lived 1977 ABC sitcom Blansky's Beauties. Joey DeLuca was the choreographer of the Las Vegas showgirls' big numbers at the Oasis Hotel. He was a younger cousin to Carmine Ragusa, Mekka's 1950s-era character on Laverne & Shirley. The Garry Marshall created and produced series also starred Nancy Walker, Caren Kaye, Lynda Goodfriend, Johnny Desmond, Scott Baio, George Pentecost, Taaffe O'Connell, Rhonda Bates, Bond Gideon, Gerri Reddick, Shirley Kirkes, Antoinette Yuskis, Jill Owens, Elaine Bolton and Pat Morita.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat (3 episodes), The Munsters Today, Family Matters (2 episodes), California Dreams, Dream On, Weird Science, The Jamie Foxx Show, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Pastor Greg (2 episodes) and Childrens Hospital.

Some of his drama guest appearances included Fantasy Island (4 episodes), Moonlighting, True Blue, The Big Easy, Power Rangers Wild Force, 24, Crossing Jordan and ER. His soap opera guest appearances included Guiding Light, The Bold and the Beautiful, Sunset Beach and The Young and the Restless.

He had a small role as the dance partner of Mae (Madonna) in the bar in the 1992 film A League of Their Own, which was directed by Penny Marshall. Some of his other film credits included Top of the World (1997), Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003), Dreamgirls (2006) and C Me Dance (2009). He played Detective Murdoch in the 1998 Fox television movie Catch Me If You Can.

Mekka was also known for his theater work. He was nominated for Broadway's 1975 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for The Lieutenant. He performed in Hairspray at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada and in a national tour of Grease with Cindy Williams.

Mr. Mekka was a man of many talents as an actor, dancer and singer. He was very funny and memorable as Carmine Ragusa. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Laverne & Shirley message board. View photos in our galleries.

by Vincent

It's the season to be thankful, and one thing we are all grateful for is having a long weekend off from work to binge watch some TV show episodes. So what are the best sitcom Thanksgiving episodes? The obvious choice is the Friends Thanksgiving episodes, the gold standard of sitcom Thanksgiving. But there are also some other classic Thanksgiving episodes that deserve recognition as well.

New Girl was another "young professionals in a big city" sitcom that did Thanksgiving well, and its Thanksgiving episodes are a funny mix of humor and heart. Community also had a solid Thanksgiving episode - although it took place during the "gas leak" year without creator Dan Harmon, it's still a decent half-hour that introduces us to Jeff's estranged father. Happy Endings also had a very funny Thanksgiving episode that chronicles the gang's past as reality TV stars.

However, if one show stands out above the rest, it's Bob's Burgers. Nearly every Bob's Burgers Thanksgiving episode is an instant classic, with my favorite being the Season 3 Thanksgiving episode "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal," which also featured Linda's unforgettable Thanksgiving song. It's a classic episode, just like all Bob's Burgers Thanksgiving episodes, and I highly recommend it.

Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel are back for a third installment of Live in Front of a Studio Audience! The first two specials aired before the pandemic in spring 2019 and holiday season 2019, but now 2 years later, we are back with another holiday installment! Previous classic Norman Lear sitcoms featured were All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times, now we are heading into the '80s with Lear's The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes! Yes, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes will air Tuesday, Dec. 7 from 8pm to 9:30pm ET, followed by the series premiere of the previously announced new school comedy Abbott Elementary at 9:30pm leading into the fall finale of new drama Queens at 10pm.

Casting details for Diff'rent Strokes includes John Lithgow as Mr. Drummond, Kevin Hart as Arnold, Damon Wayans as Willis and Ann Dowd as Mrs. Garrett, with more to be announced. Casting details for The Facts of Life has not been announced yet but Ann Dowd as Mrs. Garrett will certainly be on both episodes. Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows will executive produce. Details on the episodes being recreated will also be announced soon! More to come!

Millennials, the six-episode original sitcom will premiere weekly beginning Thursday, February 25 on AMC Networks' newly relaunched streaming service, ALLBLK, that was announced. The hilarious new comedy is centered on the lives of four 20-something roommates and their neighbors across the hall; as they navigate the chaos of being young and finding success, and themselves, in the city of angels. Omar (Kyle Massey, That's So Raven) is a straight-laced business student with dreams of taking over the corporate world, urging his goofball friends Jaheem (Keraun "King Keraun" Harris), a personal trainer; Travis (Philip Bolden, Are We There Yet?) an insecure YouTuber; and college dropout Todd (Aaron Grady, Everybody Hates Chris) to get their acts together. In each episode, the friends' schemes and antics make it abundantly clear that none of them have it all figured out-- except maybe, their hardworking neighbor Mercedes (Teresa "Topnotch" Celeste, Tales, Wild N' Out), an aspiring actress from Atlanta who often serves as the only voice of reason for the guys. Tanjareen Thomas (Famous in Love), comedian Buddy Lewis (Big Stan, Black Dynamite), and Katherine Florence (social media influencer @katieflorence), also star. The series is created by Rugg Williams and Oren Williams, with Bentley Kyle Evans serving as co-director and executive producer.

This Valentine's Day, cuddle up with your crush and say "I do" with Antenna TV and the "Love is In – and Over – the Air" marathon on Sunday, February 14. You and your sweetheart are in for a full day of romantic episodes from the lineup of Antenna TV shows, including Family Ties, Murphy Brown and Diff'rent Strokes. "Love is In – and Over – the Air" Valentine’s Day Marathon airs Sunday, February 14 starting at 5:00am ET on Antenna TV. All series will air in their regular Sunday timeslots, but with romance/loved themed episodes. Also, Antenna TV has announced on Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 5-10pm, AnTENna TV's Birthday Party continues with a ten episode marathon of fan favorite That Girl. Last month on Jan. 10, there was a 10 episode Bewitched marathon, as that series was voted #1 in a fan poll of top Antenna shows. And of course when Antenna TV turned 10 on Jan. 1 they aired an hour each of their top 10 most popular shows (in order from #1 to #10: Bewitched, Three's Company, The Facts of Life, Who's the Boss?, Hazel, Family Ties, I Dream of Jeannie, Alice, The Jeffersons and That Girl). Stay tuned on what will air on March 10 for month three of ten! Visit www.antennatv.tv for the channel finder.

As we mentioned before, Antenna TV is adding The Jeffersons and One Day at Time back to its lineup in January 2021. Now we have the timeslots they will air. One Day at a Time will air weekdays from 3-4pm ET leading into the new timeslot for Three's Company from 4-5pm. The Jeffersons will air in primetime weeknights from 9-10pm, right after Archie Bunker's Place from 8-9pm (its switching slots with Alice, as Alice slides to 7-8pm). The other weekday changes include The Facts of Life moving to 6-7am (instead of 3-4pm), while Diff'rent Strokes will be off the weekday lineup, but will remain on weekends (along with The Facts of Life) from 12-2pm. Wings and Becker will flop overnight hours at 1am and 4am to round out the weekday schedule changes.

Weekends will see more of a similar schedule on both days from 6am-6pm (minus the Saturday E/I hour at 9am). Shows include Head of the Class from 11am-12pm, Silver Spoons from 2-3pm and Gimme a Break! from 3-4pm. Saturdays will continue to have the classics from 6pm-5am such as Father Knows Best, while Sundays from 6pm-5am will still feature '80s sitcoms kicking it off now with Family Ties from 6-7pm. Sha la la. View the full regular schedule for Antenna TV for Q1 2021 that begins on Saturday, Jan. 2.

Stunts include, AnTENna TV's Birthday Blowout on New Year's Day airs 12pm-10pm, a 10 hour marathon featuring winners of Top Ten Antenna TV shows as voted on Antenna TV's Facebook page. AnTENna TV's Birthday Party will continue for the first 10 months of the year on the 10th of each month through October 2021 featuring 10 episodes of winners of various other Top Ten polls that have been running on Antenna TV's Facebook page, these stunts from Feb-Oct will air from 5pm-10pm. And finally, romance is in the air on Antenna TV with a Valentine's Day marathon of episodes all day on Sunday, Feb. 14. On Wednesday, March 17, this St. Patrick's Day catch the "It's Your Lucky Day" marathon featuring gambling episodes of your fave Antenna TV sitcoms such as Three's Company when Jack attends a charity ball with a socialite and loses $15,000 while gambling, Larry and the girls attempt to help him recover the money.

Secrets of Sulphur Springs, a time-travel mystery series for kids and families, premieres Friday, Jan. 15 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST/PST), with a special one-hour uninterrupted programming event on Disney Channel. Leading into the series debut is the season five premiere of Bunk'd (7:30-8:00 p.m. EST/PST), guest starring popular actress Peyton List, an original cast member from seasons 1-3, reprising her role of Emma Ross. New episodes of Secrets of Sulphur Springs will be presented Fridays (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST/PST) on Disney Channel, beginning Jan. 22.

Set in the fictional Louisiana town of Sulphur Springs, the series follows 12-year-old Griffin Campbell (Preston Oliver, Chicago Fire) whose world has been upended by his father, Ben (Josh Braaten, American Horror Story). Ben has moved the family from Chicago to take ownership of an abandoned hotel property, The Tremont. The Campbell family, which also includes Griffin's mother, Sarah (Kelly Frye, Criminal Minds), and his younger twin siblings, Wyatt (Landon Gordon, Coop & Cami Ask the World) and Zoey (Madeleine McGraw, Outcast), moves into The Tremont in hopes of restoring it to the lively vacation destination it once was. On his first day at his new school, Griffin hears rumors that the hotel is haunted by the ghost of Savannah (Elle Graham, Swamp Thing), a girl who disappeared decades ago. He soon meets and befriends Harper (Kyliegh Curran, Doctor Sleep), a thrill-seeking classmate, and soon they discover a secret portal that allows them to travel back in time and uncover clues about the town mystery.

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.

It's going to be "A Very Merry MeTV" holiday season this season on the MeTV Network. The festivities begin on Sunday, November 17 with Thanksgiving episodes and will air every Sunday thereafter until Dec. 22, all from 5pm-8pm. You'll see holiday episodes of sitcoms such as Diff'rent Strokes, Happy Days, Mama's Family, The Brady Bunch, The Jeffersons, WKRP in Cincinnati, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi and many more! Christmas Eve (Dec. 24, 1am-3am) and Christmas Day (Dec. 25, 11am-1pm) will see a two-hour block of Holiday Greetings from The Ed Sullivan Show. But that's not all! Oh-ho-ho-ho, no! MeTV also sprinkled the schedule with other holiday episodes that will air during their normal schedule of shows like ALF, The Facts of Life and Gilligan's Island. For now, view the full "A Very Merry MeTV" Sunday evening block schedule:

Sunday, November 17
5:00pm Diff'rent Strokes
5:30pm Diff'rent Strokes
6:00pm The Love Boat
7:00pm Happy Days
7:30pm Mama's Family

Sunday, November 24
5:00pm Saved By The Bell
5:30pm The Brady Bunch
6:00pm Cheers
6:30pm Cheers
7:00pm M*A*S*H
7:30pm WKRP In Cincinnati

Sunday, December 1
5:00pm The Beverly Hillbillies
5:30pm Laverne & Shirley
6:00pm The Love Boat
7:00pm M*A*S*H
7:30pm M*A*S*H

Sunday, December 8
5:00pm The Honeymooners
5:30pm The Odd Couple
6:00pm A Very Brady Christmas (1988, Movie)

Sunday, December 15
5:00pm WKRP In Cincinnati
5:30pm The Jeffersons
6:00pm The Love Boat
7:00pm The Love Boat

Sunday, December 22
5:00pm The Andy Griffith Show
5:30pm The Bob Newhart Show
6:00pm The Mary Tyler Moore Show
6:30pm The Dick Van Dyke Show
7:00pm Taxi
7:30pm Cheers

Global comedy superstar Ricky Gervais, in his unique and legendary fashion, will resume hosting duties for a record fifth time at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Gervais hosted the Golden Globes in 2010-12 and returned for a fourth time in 2016. The three-hour telecast will air live on NBC coast to coast Sunday, January 5, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Golden Globes serve as the official kickoff to the 2020 awards season. 25 categories - 14 in film and 11 in television - are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Creator and star of The Office UK and Extras, Ricky Gervais has won three Golden Globes, two Primetime Emmys and seven BAFTAS. The Office is the most successful British comedy of all time, shown in more than 90 countries with seven remakes. The NBC version is the most successful U.S. remake of a British show in more than 30 years.

Considered the most influential British comedian since Charlie Chaplin, Gervais is an award-winning stand-up comedian, with five international tours to date. His live stand up show Fame became the fastest selling UK stand-up show in history. Gervais can most recently be seen in the dark comedy After Life, which he created, directs, stars in and executive produced. The series premiered March 8 worldwide on Netflix and will return for a second season in 2020.

Once again on Halloween, Antenna TV is brewing up a BEWITCHING day with the twitchiest of witches and the sweetest of sorceresses. On Thursday, October 31, 2020 Antenna TV will air "Sabrina & Samantha Witch-O-Ween Marathon" from 5am to 4am ET of episodes from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Bewitched. Treat yourself to an entire day of both comedies with Sabrina from 5am-4pm and Bewitched from 4pm-4am (with a Johnny Carson break at 10pm). After all, what's scarier than high school? Or maybe Endora is scarier? Bewitched regularly airs on Antenna TV Weekdays 2pm ET/11am PT, Weeknights 3am ET /12am PT and Saturdays 11:30pm ET/8:30pm PT. Sabrina, the Teenage Witch regularly airs on Antenna TV on Weekends 5pm ET / 2pm PT.

Television producer Al Burton, who worked on The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Diff'rent Strokes and Charles in Charge, has died. He died on October 22 at his home in San Mateo, California. Mr. Burton was 91.

Burton worked for Tandem Productions, which was created by television director Bud Yorkin and television writer/producer Norman Lear, from 1972 to 1983. During his tenure there, he worked as a creative supervisor for the satirical soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and the satirical comedy series Fernwood 2 Night. He worked as a production supervisor and consultant for The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Diff'rent Strokes, Hello Larry, Sanford, Silver Spoons and Square Pegs. Some of the series were produced under the Embassy Television name.

He started his own production company called Al Burton Productions. He was an executive producer for Charles in Charge, The New Lassie and Out of Blue (1995-1996). In addition to his producing duties, he wrote the story for two episodes of Charles in Charge and one episode of Out of the Blue.

Burton, Alan Thicke and Gloria Loring wrote the lyrics for the Diff'rent Strokes theme song that was titled "It Takes Diff'rent Strokes." They also wrote the theme song for The Facts of Life, which was performed by Charlotte Rae and the cast for season 1 and by Loring for seasons 2-9. Burton, Michael Jacobs and David Kurtz wrote the theme song for Charles in Charge, which was performed by Shandi Sinnamon.

He was the Emmy-winning creator with Donnie Brainard and executive producer of the Comedy Central game show Win Ben Stein's Money. The series, which was hosted by Ben Stein with co-hosts Jimmy Kimmel (1997-2000), Nancy Pimental (2001-2001) and Sal Iacono (2002-2003), ran for 6 seasons from 1997 to 2003. It helped launch the career of Jimmy Kimmel. The series won seven Daytime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Game Show in 1999.

He was interviewed for the E! True Hollywood Story episodes for Diff'rent Strokes, Dana Plato, The Facts of Life, Sixteen Candles and Charles in Charge. He appeared in the Biography specials for Ben Stein in 2001 and for The Facts of Life in 2001.

Survivors include his wife, Sally Burton, and their daughter, Jennifer Burton Werbe.

Mr. Burton was a prolific producer who worked on many sitcoms during his six-decade career. We thank him for helping bring us The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Diff'rent Strokes, Charles and Charge and more. He will be greatly missed.

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.

AXS TV, the premier destination for classic rock programming, puts the spotlight on the enduring films, series, and pop culture moments that defined the 1970s in the all-new countdown show The Very VERY Best Of The 70s, premiering Thursday, May 16 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The insightful and witty series is executive produced by Katie Daryl (The Top Ten Revealed) who will be guiding a rotating panel of celebrity guests each week, as they share their honest, hilarious, and always unfiltered thoughts on the classic entertainment that made this unforgettable decade so iconic. Each week will highlight a different theme, kicking off with an adrenaline-fueled look at the 70's most explosive "Action TV Shows." Other topics include a look at the top "Teen Flicks," from the funny to the heartfelt (May 23); a breakdown of the most groundbreaking "Stand-Up Comedians" (May 30); an out-of-this-world examination of the '70s spaciest "Sci-Fi Movies" (June 6); a play date with the decade's most "Amazing Toys" (June 13); quality time with everyone's favorite "TV Moms" (June 20); a trip to the '70s Cineplex for the most "Epic Movies Of '75" (June 27); and a sizzling look at the decade's most "Sexy Sirens" (July 11).

The star-studded guest roster features a slew of pop culture figures from all across the entertainment spectrum, including beloved funnyman Fred Willard, prime time star Morgan Fairchild, Brady Bunch brother Barry Williams, Good Times' Jimmie Walker, Man-of-1,000 Sound Effects Michael Winslow, heavy metal mastermind Sebastian Bach, multi-talented TV personality Mark Steines, Family Matters' Jaleel White, comedy trailblazer George Wallace, Happy Days fan-favorite Anson Williams, Horror movie maven Dee Wallace, Diff'rent Strokes icon Todd Bridges, Facts of Life star Mindy Cohn, legendary game show host Bob Eubanks, Law & Order actress Elisabeth Röhm, Baywatch actor David Chokachi, and even Daisy Duke herself, Catherine Bach.

The Emmy Award-winning documentary series Who Do You Think You Are? returns to celebrate all new journeys of self-discovery, connection and diversity on NBC with 13 episodes. A new group of celebrities will celebrate culture and set sail on their mission to connect with their personal history. From executive producers Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky and Ancestry, the global leader in family history and consumer genomics, the series returns to NBC at a time when ancestral and genealogical exploration is enjoying unprecedented popularity. Cutting-edge research tools and billions of digitized records from Ancestry will provide remarkable insights into the star's background and illustrate the cultural mosaic that connects us all together. Each week a different celebrity will go on a poignant search to trace their family tree with the help of historians and experts, unlocking past mysteries and unbelievable real-life stories across the world and through time. The first three seasons originally aired on NBC from 2010-2012. The series moved to TLC from 2013-2018 with all-new episodes and now will move back to NBC. Premiere and weekly dates are to be announced.

Are you ho-ho-hoping to see some Christmas episodes this season? Have we got an overstuffed sack of presents for you. For seven weeks, MeTV will present three hours of holiday episodes every Sunday, from 5PM-8PM Eastern time for their annual "A Very Merry MeTV" 2018. You'll see favorites like ALF, The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life, Diff'rent Strokes, The Love Boat and even the TV movie A Very Brady Christmas. The full Sunday holiday line-up is below!

Sunday, November 11, 2018
5:00pm The Jeffersons-Father Christmas
5:30pm The Facts Of Life-It's A Wonderful Christmas
6pm-8pm Little House on The Prairie-Bless All the Dear Children

Sunday, November 18, 2018
5:00pm Diff'rent Strokes-Thanksgiving Crossover 1
5:30pm Diff'rent Strokes-Thanksgiving Crossover 2
6:00pm The Love Boat-Man Of The Cloth
7:00pm M*A*S*H-Yalu Brick Road
7:30pm WKRP In Cincinnati-Turkey's Away

Sunday, November 25, 2018
5:00pm The Jeffersons-The Christmas Wedding
5:30pm The Jeffersons-All I Want for Christmas
6pm-8pm The Ed Sullivan Show-Holiday Greetings

Sunday, December 2, 2018
5:00pm The Jeffersons-984 W 124th Street Apt 5C
5:30pn The Jeffersons-George Finds a Father
6pm-8pm A Very Brady Christmas

Sunday, December 9, 2018
5:00pm ALF-ALF's Special Christmas 1
5:30pm ALF-ALF's Special Christmas 2
6:00pm The Love Boat-The Christmas Presence
7:00pm M*A*S*H-Dear Sis
7:30pm M*A*S*H-Twas The Day After Christmas

Sunday, December 16, 2018
5:00pm Happy Days-Guess Who's Coming To Christmas
5:30pm Happy Days-Christmas Time
6:00pm The Love Boat-The Christmas Cruise 1
7:00pm The Love Boat-The Christmas Cruise 2

Sunday, December 23, 2018
5:00pm Laverne & Shirley-Christmas Eve at Booby Hatch
5:30pm Laverne & Shirley-Oh, Come All Ye Bums
6:00pm The Love Boat-Santa, Santa, Santa
7:00pm M*A*S*H-Dear Dad
7:30pm M*A*S*H-Death Takes a Holiday

Netflix has picked up BoJack Horseman for a 6th season! Will Arnett voices BoJack, the failed legendary 90's sitcom star from the favorite family sitcom Horsin' Around, who has been trying to find his way through a muddle of self-loathing, whisky and failed relationships. Now, in the presence of his human sidekick Todd (Aaron Paul) and his feline agent and ex-paramour Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), BoJack is primed for his comeback...

Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. The series is Executive Produced by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Steven A. Cohen and Noel Bright. Will Arnett (The Millers, Arrested Development) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) also serve as Executive Producers. BoJack was designed by graphic artist Lisa Hanawalt and is animated by LA-based ShadowMachine. The show is a Tornante Production, brought to life by Michael Eisner's The Tornante Company. BoJack Horseman Season 5 premiered on Netflix on September 14, 2018.

CBS All Access announced at the TCA Summer 2018 Press Tour its upcoming psychological thriller series, Tell Me a Story, will premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 31. Following the premiere, new episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays. Tell Me a Story’s 10-episode first season will be available on demand weekly on Thursdays exclusively for CBS All Access subscribers. The series takes the world's most beloved fairy tales and reimagines them as a dark and twisted psychological thriller. Set in modern-day New York City, the first season of this serialized drama interweaves "The Three Little Pigs," "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Hansel and Gretel" into an epic and subversive tale of love, loss, greed, revenge and murder. The cast of Tell Me a Story includes James Wolk, Billy Magnussen, Dania Ramirez, Danielle Campbell, Dorian Missick, Michael Raymond-James, Davi Santos, Sam Jaeger, Zabryna Guevara with Paul Wesley and Kim Cattrall. CBS All Access also premiered the trailer for One Dollar, a drama launching Aug. 31. The cast includes John Carroll Lynch, Nathaniel Martello-White, Chris Denham, Philip Ettinger, Kirrilee Berger, Gracie Lawrence, Joshua Bitton, Nike Uche Kadri and Hamilton Clancy. Greg Germann, Sturgill Simpson, Aleksa Palladino, Jeff Perry and Leslie Odom Jr. round out the cast with recurring roles. No real announcements were made by the CBS Television Network.

Moving on to Showtime, they announced that the ninth season of its hit comedy series Shameless will expand to a 14-episode order, and will air in two parts - this fall and in winter 2019. The first seven episodes will begin airing on Sunday, September 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with a midseason finale on Sunday, October 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The second half of season nine will premiere on Sunday, January 20, 2019 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Showtime has announced that it will premiere season six of its hit drama series Ray Donovan on Sunday, October 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The network also announced the premiere date for the new limited series Escape at Dannemora on Sunday, November 18 at 10 p.m. Showtime also announced that the eighth season of its Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) winning hit drama Homeland will be the series' final season, and will premiere in June 2019. And finally, they announced a timely new three-part documentary series Shut Up and Dribble, a powerful inside look at the changing role of athletes in our fraught cultural and political environment, through the lens of the NBA. Executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, the series will premiere this October.

In dedication to the memory of the late actress Charlotte Rae, who played Mrs. Garrett on both Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life, MeTV will air special episodes of these two shows this Sunday (August 12) from 2:00-3:00pm ET/PT. The first episode of The Facts of Life ("Rough Housing") will air from 2:00-2:30pm ET/PT followed by the Diff'rent Strokes episode ("The Girls School") that served as the pilot for the spin-off The Facts of Life from 2:30-3:00pm ET/PT on Sunday, August 12, 2018. Stay with us for continued updates and if any more tributes are planned. For now, view our story on the passing of Charlotte Rae and how you can share your tributes.

Actress Charlotte Rae, who starred as Edna Garrett in Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life, has died. She died on August 5 at her home in Los Angeles, California. In 2017, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. Ms. Rae was 92.

Rae made her television debut in a 1954 episode of The United States Steel Hour. Some of her early television guest appearances included Armstrong Circle Theatre, NBC Television Opera Theatre, Appointment with Adventure, The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, The DuPont Show of the Month, The Phil Silvers Show, Play of the Week, Way Out and From These Roots.

She played the recurring role of Sylvia Schnauser, the wife of Officer Leo Schnauser (Al Lewis), in 10 episodes of Car 54, Where Are You? from 1961 to 1963. Some of her guest appearances in 1970s sitcoms included Temperatures Rising, The Partridge Family, The Paul Lynde Show, All in the Family, Good Times, Phyllis, Barney Miller, All's Fair, CPO Sharkey and Szysznyk. She appeared as Molly the Mail Lady in the third season (1971-1972) of Sesame Street.

Rae received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama for her role as Helen in the 1975 CBS television movie Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.

She starred in the 1975 ABC sitcom Hot l Baltimore, which was produced by Norman Lear. She played Mrs. Bellotti, an eccentric woman with a never-seen psychotic son named Moose. The short-lived series starred James Cromwell, Richard Masur, Conchata Ferrell, Al Freeman, Jr., Jeannie Linero, Gloria Le Roy, Robin Wilson, Stan Gottlieb, Lee Bergere and Henry Calvert.

Rae next starred as Edna Garrett in Diff'rent Strokes, which premiered on NBC on November 3, 1978. Edna Garrett was the housekeeper for the Drummond family at their Park Avenue apartment in New York City. Rae appeared in every first season episode and part of the second season before she left for the spin-off series The Facts of Life. The first and second seasons of Diff'rent Strokes also starred Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges and Dana Plato. Rae would return for the 1984 episode The Wedding.

The backdoor pilot episode on Diff'rent Strokes titled The Girls School on May 4, 1979, led to the spin-off series The Facts of Life. Rae starred as Mrs. Garrett (Mrs. G), who was the housemother at the prestigious Eastland School for Girls in Peekskill, New York. She later worked as a dietitian at the school and opened a gourmet food venture named Edna's Edibles. Rae starred in the first seven seasons before her sister Beverly Ann Stickle (Cloris Leachman) took over the shop and helped look after the girls. She performed some of the lyrics for the first season theme song. The Facts of Life main cast included Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn and Nancy McKeon (1980-1988).

Rae received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 1982. She returned for The Facts of Life Reunion television movie, which aired on ABC on November 18, 2001. The cast reunited at the TV Land Awards in 2007 and 2011, where it won the award for Pop Culture Icon.

Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, 227, Baby Talk, Can't Hurry Love (which starred Nancy McKeon), The King of Queens and Girl Meets World. Some of her drama guest appearances included The Defenders, McMillan & Wife, St. Elsewhere, Murder, She Wrote, Thunder in Paradise, Sisters, Diagnosis: Murder, Strong Medicine, ER, Life and Pretty Little Liars.

Rae was also known for her voice work. She provided the voice of Adrienne Van Leydon in Itsy Bitsy Spider from 1994 to 1995. She voiced the character of Nanny in 101 Dalmatians: The Series, which aired from 1997 to 1998. In 1993, she voiced the character Aunt Pristine Figg in Tom and Jerry: The Movie.

She also had a long career as a stage actress. She received Tony Award nominations for Pickwick in 1966 and Morning, Noon and Night in 1969. Some of her other Broadway credits included Three Wishes for Jamie (1952), The Threepenny Opera (1954) and Li'l Abner (1956).

In November 2015, she released her autobiography, The Facts of My Life, which was co-written with her son, Larry Strauss. The book was the first opportunity for Charlotte fans to explore the fascinating story of her extraordinary life: poignant and hilarious, a story of courage and triumph, one that speaks for a generation of women breaking barriers, taking on challenges, overcoming personal tragedy, and paving the way for others.

Ms. Rae was wonderful as Mrs. G. She was very much the glue who held the show together. We thank her for the many laughs and hours of entertainment she brought us over the years. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Facts of Life message board. View photos in our galleries.

The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes can currently be seen on MeTV. The Facts of Life also airs on Logo. We'll keep you posted on any tribute marathons.

Gabby Duran & the Unsittables has received a straight-to-series order, and production is currently underway in Vancouver for a 2019 premiere on Disney Channel. Showrunners and writers Mike Alber and Gabe Snyder (Kirby Buckets) serve as executive producers alongside Joe Nussbaum (Just Add Magic). Nzingha Stewart (Grey's Anatomy, Good Girls) will direct the first episode. Based upon the novel written by Elise Allen and Daryle Conners, this single-cam live-action comedy series stars 12-year-old newcomer Kylie Cantrall as the titular character.

Gabby Duran constantly feels like she's living in the shadows of her uber-polished, successful mother and whip-smart younger sister. She finally finds her moment to shine when she inadvertently lands an out-of-this-world job to babysit an unruly group of very important extraterrestrial children who are hiding out on earth with their families, disguised as everyday kids. Fearless and unapologetically bold, Gabby steps up to the challenge to protect these youngsters and their secret identities, and prove she's the best babysitter in the galaxy.

Starring alongside Cantrall is Maxwell Acee Donovan (Good Kids) as Gabby's bestie and conspiracy-theorist Wesley; Coco Christo (We Take the Low Road) as Gabby's overachieving little sis Olivia; Nathan Lovejoy (The Code) as the wacky Principal Swift; and Valery Ortiz (Switched at Birth) as Gabby's caring and career-driven mom Dina. Recurring star Callan Farris (Kings) will play Jeremy, Gabby's first babysitting assignment.