SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

HBO Max Orders Comedy Series The People v. Gorilla Grodd; Remembering Shelley Fabares of The Donna Reed Show and Coach

HBO Max has given an eight-episode, straight-to-series order for a new half-hour comedy The People v. Gorilla Grodd from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television. The Max Original comedy stars Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, and Superman actors Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White. The series also stars Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Arian Moayed, Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds, and Tim Baltz. Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault will serve as showrunners, writers, and executive producers with Yacenda set to direct all episodes. James Gunn and Peter Safran also serve as executive producers.

In the series, a superintelligent ape is convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City. In an eight-part "true" crime docuseries, the Daily Planet's Jimmy Olsen reopens the case, investigating whether Gorilla Grodd was wrongly convicted in one of Metropolis' most famous murder trials.

Actress and singer Shelley Fabares, who starred as Mary Stone in The Donna Reed Show and as Christine Armstrong in Coach, has died. She died from a brief illness in Los Angeles on August 22. Ms. Fabares was 82.

Fabares starred as Mary Stone in the 1958-1966 ABC sitcom The Donna Reed Show. The series starred Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-starred as her husband, pediatrician Dr. Alex Stone, with Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children, Mary and Jeff. Fabares left the series in season 5 in 1963 to pursue other acting opportunities. She returned seven times as guest star in seasons 6-8. In 1994, she was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for her role as Mary Stone.

She starred as Dr. Anne Jamison in the 1972-1974 NBC sitcom The Brian Keith Show (titled The Little People during its first season). Brian Keith plays Dr. Sean Jamison, a pediatrician running a free clinic for children in Hawaii. Dr. Anne Jamison works alongside her father. The cast also included Victoria Young, Sean Tyler Hall, Moe Keale, Michael Gray (1972-1973), Steven Hague (1972-1973), Roger Bowen (1973-1974) and Nancy Kulp (1973-1974).

Fabares starred as Jenny Bedford in the 1976-1977 NBC sitcom The Practice. The series stars Danny Thomas as Dr. Jules Bedford. Dr. David Bedford (David Spielberg) is his son. Jenny is David's wife. They are the parents of two young boys, Paul and Tony. The cast inclded Dena Dietrich, Didi Conn, Allen Price, Damon Raskin, John Byner (season 1), Sam Laws and Mike Evans (season 2).

She starred as Helen Blacke in the short-lived 1979 NBC sitcom Highcliffe Manor. Helen Blacke is the owner of the mansion that was home to the Blacke Foundation, a scientific research institute with a houseful of sinister characters. It also starred Stephen McHattie, Eugenie Ross-Leming, Gerald Gordon, Audrey Landers, Jenny O'Hara, Christian Marlowe, David Byrd, Luis Avalos, Ernie Hudson and Harold Sakata.

Fabares appeared as Francine Webster in 38 episodes of the CBS sitcom One Day at a Time from 1978 to 1974. Francine Webster is Ann Romano's (Bonnie Franklin) rival co-worker who eventually becomes her advertising business partner. She first guest starred in a season 3 episode in 1978. She had a recurring role in season 7 before becoming a series regular in seasons 8 and 9.

She starred as Christine Armstrong in the 1989-1997 ABC sitcom Coach. The series, created by Barry Kemp, stars Craig T. Nelson as Hayden Fox, head coach of the fictional NCAA Division I-A Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles football team. Christine Armstrong is a sharp, successful television news anchor. She is Hayden's girlfriend and later wife. For her work, Fabares was nominated twice for a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1993 and 1994. The cast also included Jerry Van Dyke, Bill Fagerbakke, Kenneth Kimmins, Clare Carey (1989-1993), Kris Kamm (1989-1991), Katherine Helmond (1995-1997), and Georgia Engel (1991-1997).

In 1977, she had a regular role as Eleanor Major in 37 episodes of the syndicated soap opera Forever Fernwood. Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1968), Love, American Style (3 episodes), Hello, Larry (3 episodes), Mork & Mindy (3 episodes), The Love Boat (4 episodes), Newhart and A Whole New Ballgame.

She appeared as Moselle Corey in 15 episodes of Walt Disney Presents: Annette in 1958. Some of her other television guest appearances included The Loretta Young Show (2 episodes), Mr. Novak (2 episodes), The Twilight Zone, Daniel Boone, Lancer, Mannix, McCloud, Police Story, Ironside, The Rockford Files, The Rookies, Medical Story, Medical Center, Barnaby Jones (1975), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1976), Vega$, The Incredible Hulk, Fantasy Island (5 episodes), Matt Houston and Murder, She Wrote (2 episodes). She voiced the role of Martha Kent on Superman: The Animated Series from 1996 to 2000.

In 1962, her recording of "Johnny Angel" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold over one million copies and was certified gold.

Her film roles included playing the leading lady to Elvis Presley in Girl Happy (1965), Spinout (1966) and Clambake (1967). She starred as Ellie Walker in the 1983 CBS television film Memorial Day with Mike Farrell (who would later become her husband in 1984).

Ms. Fabares was a talented actress and singer. She was funny and memorable as Mary Stone and Christine Armstrong. We thank her for the laughs and entertainment from her many television roles. She will be deeply missed.

We also remember actor Jon Cypher. He starred as General Marcus C. Craig in Major Dad. He died at his home in Central Point, Oregon, on August 3. Mr. Cypher was 94.

Cypher starred as General Marcus C. Craig in 69 episodes (seasons 2-4) of the CBS sitcom Major Dad from 1990 to 1993. The series starred Gerald McRaney as Major John D. MacGillis and Shanna Reed as his wife Polly. At the beginning of the second season, the MacGillis family moves to Camp Hollister (based on Marine Corps Base Quantico). Brigadier General Marcus C. Craig is the spirited and commanding head of Camp Hollister. The cast included Marisa Ryan, Nicole Dubuc, Chelsea Hertford, Matt Mulhern, Marlon Archey (season 1), Whitney Kershaw (season 1) and Beverly Archer (seasons 2-4).

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Nanny and the Professor, The Doris Day Show (2 episodes), The Love Boat, House Calls, Brothers (1987), Duet, Open House, The Hogan Family and Love & War.

Cypher was best known for his role as Chief Police Fletcher Daniels in the 1981-1987 NBC police drama Hill Street Blues. In 1962, he appeared as Driscoll in 162 episodes of the NBC daytime soap opera Our Five Daughters. He appeared as Max Van Stadt in 24 episodes of General Hospital in 1981. He had a recurring role as Jeff Munson in 12 episodes of the CBS primetime soap opera Knots Landing from 1982 and 1983. He had a recurring role as Dirk E. Maurier in 10 episodes ABC primetime soap opera Dynasty from 1983 to 1987. He played Dr. Arthur Donnelly in 57 episodes of Santa Barbara from 1988 to 1989.

Some of his other television guest appearances included Flipper, McMillan & Wife, Mission: Impossible, Bonanza, Mannix (2 episodes), Cannon, The F.B.I., The Rookies, Marcus Welby, M.D. (4 episodes), Barnaby Jones, Bronk, Police Woman, The Rockford Files (2 episodes), The Greatest American Hero (1982), Trapper John, M.D. (2 episodes), Dallas (1982), Knight Rider, Hotel, Hunter, Tour of Duty (2 episodes), Murder, She Wrote (3 episodes), The Commish, Law & Order (2 episodes), The Invaders (2 episodes), Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, JAG, Rescue 77 (2 episodes) and Walker, Texas Ranger.

Mr. Cypher was a talented and versatile actor. He had nearly 100 total acting credits spanning a prolific half-century television career. We thank him for his work on television. He will be greatly missed.

Actor Michael DeLano had a recurring role as Johnny Venture in Rhoda. He died on October 20, 2025, from a heart attack at a Las Vegas hospital. Mr. DeLano was 84.

DeLano had a recurring role as Johnny Venture in 11 episodes of the CBS sitcom Rhoda from 1976 to 1978. Johnny Venture is a Las Vegas-based lounge singer who becomes an occasional suitor/friend whom Rhoda (Valerie Harper) begrudgingly tolerates.

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Soap, Detective School, Taxi, Angie, The Jeffersons, Checking In, Gimme a Break!, Private Benjamin, Down to Earth (3 episodes), Perfect Strangers and Out of This World.

He starred as Sonny Caputo in the short-lived 1974 ABC drama/adventure Firehouse. Some of his other television guest appearances included Adam-12, Banacek, Barnaby Jones, McCloud, Kojak (3 episodes), Bronk, The Rockford Files (1977), Quincy, M.E. (1978), Wonder Woman Starsky and Hutch (2 episodes), Supertrain (5 episodes), Charlie's Angels, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Flamingo Road (4 episodes), The Fall Guy (2 episodes), Magnum, P.I. (3 episodes), Hardcastle and McCormick, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, The A-Team (3 episodes), Hill Street Blues (3 episodes), The New Mike Hammer (2 episodes), Hunter (2 episodes), Hardball (2 episodes in 1989-1990), Chicago Hope, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2 episodes) and Royal Pains (2 episodes).

Mr. DeLano was best known for portraying the casino manager in the films Ocean's Eleven (2001) and Ocean's Twelve (2004). He was a familiar face with over 80 television and film credits. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be sorely missed.

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

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Labels: Coach, Donna Reed Show, HBO Max, Major Dad, Obits, One Day at a Time, Rhoda, The People v. Gorilla Grodd

Abbott Elementary Post-Oscars Airing, Only Murders on ABC; Remembering Frances Sternhagen, Marty Krofft and Others We Recently Lost

ABC announced that The Oscars(R) will air live coast to coast on Sunday, March 10, in a new earlier timeslot (7:00-10:30 p.m. EDT/4:00-7:30 p.m. PDT). A 30-minute pre-show will lead into the live show (6:30-7:00 p.m. EDT/3:30-4:00 p.m. PDT), and immediately following, ABC will air an original episode of the Emmy(R) Award-winning comedy series Abbott Elementary. The telecast will also be rebroadcast in the Pacific Time zone in primetime after the live presentation. As previously announced, Emmy Award-winning late-night talk show host and producer Jimmy Kimmel will return to host the live show for the fourth time. Raj Kapoor will serve as showrunner and executive producer, with Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan serving as executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is set to direct the telecast. The 96th Oscars will be held at the Dolby(R) Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

ABC will head into the new year with the exclusive broadcast premiere of the Emmy Award-nominated Hulu Original comedy Only Murders in the Building. Season one of the critically acclaimed hit series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez will air Tuesdays in January, with the first three episodes debuting on Tuesday, Jan. 2, following a new semifinal episode of Celebrity Jeopardy! (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST), returning in 2024 on its new night. The airdate schedule for the 10-episode season of Only Murders in the Building is as follows (all times listed are Eastern/Pacific):

· Tuesday, Jan. 2, 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Episodes 1-3)
· Tuesday, Jan. 9, 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Episodes 4-6)
· Tuesday, Jan. 16, 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Episodes 7-9)
· Tuesday, Jan. 23, 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Episode 10)

Recently renewed for a fourth season, Only Murders in the Building is the most-viewed Hulu Original comedy series ever. The show's first season hails from co-creators and writers Steve Martin and John Hoffman (Grace & Frankie, Looking). Martin and Hoffman executive produce along with Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Jamie Babbit, "This Is Us" creator Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal. From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman comes a comedic murder-mystery series for the ages. Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building, which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it's too late. The series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.

Tony Award-winning stage and screen actress Frances Sternhagen, who had recurring roles as Esther Clavin in Cheers and as Bunny MacDougal in Sex and the City, has died. She died at her home in New Rochelle, New York, on November 27. Ms. Sternhagen was 93.

Sternhagen starred as Millie Sprague in 7 episodes of the NBC sitcom Under One Roof in 1985. Millie and Ben Sprague (Harold Gould) were Spencer Winger's (Ross Harris) maternal grandparents. She was the mother of Doris Winger (Mimi Kennedy). The show was originally titled Spencer in 1984 and starred Chad Lowe as Spencer Winger. The cast included Ronny Cox, Amy Locane, Richard Sanders, Beverly Archer, Grant Heslov and Dean Cameron.

She had a recurring role as Esther Clavin in 7 episodes of the NBC sitcom Cheers from 1986 to 1993. Esther "Ma" Clavin is the mother of Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger). It is first mentioned in the third season that Cliff lives with her, for which the other barflies mocked him. One of Esther's pastimes is making pretzels in unintentionally unusual shapes, which Cliff brings them into the bar in "Second Time Around" (1986). Sternhagen received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the role in 1991 and 1992.

Sternhagen had a recurring role as Bunny MacDougal in 10 episodes of the HBO romantic comedy-drama Sex and the City from 2000 to 2002. Bunny MacDougal is the overbearing mother of Dr. Trey MacDougal (Kyle MacLachlan), a manipulative sort who intrudes on Trey and Charlotte's (Kristin Davis) relationship and apartment on a regular basis. She received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the role in 2002.

She provided the voice of Mrs. Bellamy for a 2002 episode of The Simpsons. She guest starred as Naomi in a 2004 episode of Becker.

Stenhagen starred as Charlotte Babineaux in the short-lived 1994 family drama The Family Home. She starred as Gina Williams in the 1991 CBS miniseries Stephen King's Golden Years. She had a recurring role as Millicent Carter, the grandmother of John Carter (Noah Wyle), in 21 episodes of the NBC medical drama ER from 1997 to 2003. She had a recurring role as Willie Ray Johnson in 15 episodes of the TNT police procedural from 2006 to 2012.

Some of her other television guest appearances included The Nurses, The Defenders, Profiles in Courage, For the People, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Law & Order (2 episodes), Tales from the Crypt, The Outer Limits (1995) and Parenthood (2012).

She worked for many years in soap operas. She played Toni Prentiss Davis on Love of Life, Jessie Reddin on The Secret Storm, Phyllis Corrigan on The Doctors (42 episodes) and Jane Overstreet in Another World. She is also recognized as Mrs. Marsh from a series of television commercials for Colgate toothpaste that aired in the 1970s.

Sternhagen gained acclaim for her extensive career on the Broadway stage. She made her debut in The Skin of Our Teeth (1955). She went on to receive two Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performances as various characters in Neil Simon's comedic play The Good Doctor (1973) and as Lavinia Penniman in Ruth and Augustus Goetz's dramatic play The Heiress (1995). Her other Tony-nominated roles were for The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window (1972), Equus (1975), Angel (1978), On Golden Pond (1979) and Morning's at Seven (2002).

She starred as Sheriff Buster's (Richard Farnsworth) wife Deputy Virginia in Rob Reiner's Misery (1990). Some of her other film credits included The Hospital (1971), Starting Over (1979), Outland (1981), Bright Lights, Big City (1988), Doc Hollywood (1991), Raising Cain (1992), See You in the Morning (1989), The Mist (2007), Julie & Julia (2009), Dolphin Tale (2011) and And So It Goes (2014).

Ms. Sternhagen was a talented and versatile character actress. Her guest appearances as Esther Clavin in Cheers were always funny and memorable. We thank her for the laughs and entertainment she brought us on television for over six decades. She will deeply missed.

Television creator, producer, writer and puppeteer Marty Krofft, who worked on H.R. Pufnstuf, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters and Land of the Lost, has died. He died from kidney failure in Los Angeles, California, on November 25. Mr. Krofft was 86.

Marty and his brother Sid made numerous children's television and variety show programs in the U.S., particularly in the 1970s, including H.R. Pufnstuf (1969), Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973-1975), and Land of the Lost (1974-1976) through their production company, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures. Their fantasy programs often featured large-headed puppets, high-concept plots, and extensive use of low-budget special effects. They designed the characters and sets for Hanna-Barbera's The Banana Splits on NBC from 1968 to 1970.

Some of The Krofft Brothers other credits as creators and producers included The Bugaloos (1970-1972), Lidsville (1971-1973), Far Out Space Nuts (1975-1976), The Lost Saucer (1975), Donny & Marie (1976), The Krofft Supershow (1976-1978) (which included Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (1976) and Wonderbug (1976-1978)), The Krofft Superstar Hour (aka The Bay City Rollers Show) (1978-1979), Pink Lady and Jeff (1980), Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters (1980-1982), Pryor's Place (1984), Land of the Lost (1991-1992 reboot), Mutt & Stuff (2015-2017) and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (2016-2017 reboot).

They created and produced the 1977 ABC variety show The Brady Bunch Hour. The series starred the original cast members of The Brady Bunch, with the exception of Eve Plumb, who was replaced by Geri Reischl (a.k.a. "Fake Jan"). The show began as a 60-minute special titled The Brady Bunch Variety Hour on November 28, 1976. It featured skits and songs produced by Sid & Marty Krofft Productions in association with Paramount Television.

The Krofft Brothers created and produced the 1987-1989 syndicated sitcom D.C. Follies. The show was set in a Washington, D.C. bar, where a bartender played by Fred Willard would welcome puppet caricatures of politicians and popular culture figures. Celebrity guest stars included Martin Mull, Leslie Nielsen, Bob Uecker and Betty White.

Marty and his brother Sid made many entertaining children's television and variety show programs in the 1970s and 1980s. The Kroffts received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys in 2018. In 2020, the Kroffts were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their contributions to television. Sid is still living at age 94. Marty will be greatly missed.

We also remember actress and model Janet Landgard. She had a recurring role as Karen Holmby on The Donna Reed Show. She died of brain cancer on November 6. Ms. Landgard was 75.

Landgard appeared as Karen Holmby in 11 episodes of the ABC sitcom The Donna Reed Show from 1963 to 1965. Karen Holmby is the girlfriend of Jeff Stone (Paul Petersen). She made her first guest appearance as Sabrina in the episode "All Women Are Dangerous." The series also starred Donna Reed, Carl Betz, Shelley Fabares and Patty Petersen.

She guest starred as Georgia Fleck in the 1963 My Three Sons episode "The Proposals." She starred with Burt Lancaster in the 1968 film The Swimmer. She also starred in 1970's Land Raiders with Telly Savalas and the 1974 film Moonchild with Victor Buono.

Ms. Landgard was seen in commercials on television and on magazine covers as a model. She was was interviewed for the behind-the-scenes documentary The Story of the Swimmer in 2014. She will be deeply missed.

Actor Evan Ellingson starred as Kyle Savage on Complete Savages. He died from an accidental fentanyl overdose in Fontana, California, on November 5. Mr. Ellingson was only 35.

Ellingson made his acting debut in the 2001 TV movie Living in Fear and as Young Luke Spencer in a 2001 episode of General Hospital. He had a recurring role as Young 10-year-old Christopher Titus in 10 episodes of the Fox sitcom Titus from 2001 to 2002.

He starred as Kyle Savage on the 2004-2005 ABC sitcom Complete Savages. The TGIF sitcom is about a single father named Nick Savage (Keith Carradine) struggling to raise his five unruly sons (Jack, Chris, Sam, Kyle, and T.J.) alone, following the abandonment of their mother 10 years previously. Kyle Savage is a rebellious teenager who is unruly and constantly causing chaos. The series also starred Shaun Sipos, Erik von Detten, Andrew Eiden, Jason Dolley and Vincent Ventresca.

Ellingson had a recurring role as Kyle Harmon, the son of Horatio Caine (David Caruso) and Julia Winston (Elizabeth Berkley), in 18 episodes of the CBS police procedural drama CSI: Miami from 2007 to 2010.

He guest starred in a 2005 episode of Bones. He had a recurring role as Josh Bauer, the nephew of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), in 10 episodes of the sixth season of the Fox drama 24 in 2007.

Ellingson starred as Jesse Fitzgerald in the 2009 film My Sister's Keeper. It also starred Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Sofia Vassilieva, Jason Patric and Alec Baldwin.

Mr. Ellingson was a good young actor. Complete Savages was a funny show which should have had a longer run. He will be missed.

Actress Judy Nugent starred as Donna Ruggles on The Ruggles. She died from cancer at her Montana ranch, on October 26. Ms. Nugent was 83.

Nugent starred as Donna Ruggles on the 1949-1952 ABC sitcom The Ruggles. The series was broadcast live. Episodes were recorded on kinescope, and some of them survive in the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The star of the series is comedian Charlie Ruggles, playing a character with the same name. It also starred Irene Tedrow (1949), Erin O'Brien-Moore (1950-1952), Margaret Kerry, Tommy Bernard and Jimmy Hawkins.

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The Life of Riley, The Danny Thomas Show, The Ann Sothern Show, The Dennis O'Keefe Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and The Gertrude Berg Show.

She played Jet Maypen on the Walt Disney Presents: Annette serial on The Mickey Mouse Club in 1958. Some of her other television guest appearances included The Lone Ranger, Adventures of Superman, Annie Oakley, Lassie, The Thin Man, Sugarfoot, The Millionaire, 77 Sunset Strip, Rawhide and The Tall Man (5 episodes).

Some of her film credits included Magnificent Obsession (1954), Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm (1954) and There's Always Tomorrow (1956).

Ms. Nugent gave up acting after marrying actor Buck Taylor in 1961. The marriage produced a daughter, Tiffany, and three sons, Adam, Matthew and Cooper. We thank her for her work on television. She will be deeply missed.

Television writer Stephen Kandel wrote episodes of Gidget and Room 222. He died in his home on October 21. Mr. Kandel was 96.

Kandel wrote four episodes of the 1965-1966 ABC sitcom Gidget. He wrote four episodes of the ABC comedy-drama Room 222 from 1971 to 1973.

Some of his other writing credits included Sea Hunt, The Rogues, Batman, Star Trek, Iron Horse, I Spy, It Takes a Thief, Mission: Impossible, Mannix, The Magician, Medical Center, Harry O, Cannon, Hawaii Five-O, Wonder Woman, Hart to Hart, The New Mike Hammer and MacGyver.

He worked as a producer for Iron Horse, The New Mike Hammer and MacGyver (58 episodes from 1985-1988).

Mr. Kandel was a recipient of the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe award and the Writers Guild of America Humanities award. We thank him for his work on television. He will be greatly missed.

Posted by Todd -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:35 PM

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Labels: Abbott Elementary, ABC, Academy Awards, Cheers, Donna Reed Show, Hulu, Jeopardy, Obits, Only Murders in the Building, Sid and Marty Krofft

Decades Acquires Newhart Starting March 2018; Santa Clarita Diet Brings Out More Stars for Season 2

Decades has acquired the rights to Newhart beginning in March. Newhart was last seen on Antenna TV up until end of 2017. Decades will begin a regular weekday schedule starting Monday, March 5 with shows from sister network MeTV being added. Back-to-back sitcom episodes will air from 9am-8pm. Sitcoms airing are I Love Lucy, Our Miss Brooks, I Married Joan, The Donna Reed Show, Family Affair, Petticoat Junction, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart, Ed Sullivan, and Laugh-In. In the overnight, after movies there will be other series such as The Loretta Young Show, Honey West, Mr. Lucky and more. Weekends will still be the Decades Weekend Binge with all-day marathons for two days, as this past weekend was The Facts of Life, next weekend will bring The Mod Squad. The weekend of March 3-4 will be The Mary Tyler Moore Show, followed by The Doris Day Show on the weekend of March 10-11. View the full Decades schedule that begins March 5. Keep it right here for continued updates on all things Decades.

Netflix unveiled some delicious casting news and a first look at the much-anticipated second season of comedy Santa Clarita Diet, launching this spring. Joel McHale and Maggie Lawson guest star as Chris and Christa, married realtors in Santa Clarita -- and a more successful, more aggressive version of Sheila and Joel. Gerald McRaney guest stars as Ed Thune, a retired army colonel who Joel finds very intimidating. Zachary Knighton guest stars as Paul, the chill descendent of Serbian ancestors who has been tasked with pursuing the truth of the undead, no matter who or what stands in his way. In Santa Clarita Diet, Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and Sheila (Drew Barrymore) are husband and wife realtors leading vaguely discontented lives in the L.A. suburb of Santa Clarita with their teenaged daughter Abby (Liv Hewson), until Sheila goes through a dramatic change sending their lives down a road of death and destruction...but in a good way.

Picking up right where we left off, Season 2 of Santa Clarita Diet finds the Hammonds trying to adapt to Sheila's now-advanced undead state -- even though she's desperately working to hold on to her suburban lifestyle and not be defined as just another monster. Unfortunately -- while the family has become markedly better at murder -- the number of missing people in Santa Clarita is starting to pile up and it's no longer going unnoticed. Meanwhile, the Hammonds are chasing the source of the virus so they can stop it from spreading and save humanity -- which seems important. Through it all, Sheila and Joel are grounded by their unconditional love for one another. Sure, being undead -- or loving someone who is -- isn't always easy, but don't all relationships have their challenges?

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

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Labels: Bob Newhart Show, Decades, Donna Reed Show, Family Affair, I Love Lucy, Laugh-In, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Netflix, Newhart, Petticoat Junction, Santa Clarita Diet

SitcomsOnline Digest: Kevin Nealon and Jane Kaczmarek Cast in CBS Comedy Pilot; Community Returns to Air on Yahoo! Screen

• Kevin Nealon and Jane Kaczmarek have been cast in a CBS comedy pilot based upon the life of standup comedian Tommy Johnagin. (Deadline) 
• Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is something a little different, but does it really prove that the network sitcom is dead? (Washington Post)
• In case you missed it, the sixth season of Community started this week on Yahoo! Screen, and some early reviews are in. (Slate)
• With so many series blurring the lines between comedy and drama these days, it is sometimes hard to know which category they are going to compete in for awards ceremonies. Last year, Orange is the New Black competed as a comedy and won big... but this year, it has been ruled ineligible to compete as a comedy and must run as a drama. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Betty White is set to be honored by the Daytime Emmy Awards with a lifetime achievement award. (People)
• Pop, the network formerly known as TVGN, has renewed Schitt's Creek for a second season. (SitcomsOnline) 

MARCH 24 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• The Donna Reed Show - Season 2 (DVD, $39.98): MPI brings this now out-of-print release (previously released by Virgil Films) back to DVD.

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 3:00 PM

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Labels: Community, Donna Reed Show, SitcomsOnline Digest, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

SitcomsOnline Digest: New Amazon.com Pilots; New Donna Reed Show DVD Rumors; April Mill Creek DVD Releases

• Pilot season has returned to amazon.com! Once again, the website has introduced ten new pilots for potential Prime series that fans can watch, and ultimately choose which ones will be produced as new series to be streamed exclusively through the website. Last year, this introduced both Alpha House and Betas. Among the current batch, there are three comedy pilots, so check them out and let them know what you think. (New York Times)
• Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup is getting even bigger, and will soon include all of primetime hours as the start time for the lineup moves to 8 PM beginning March 31. The lineup launched in September 2001 with a start time of 11 PM and has slowly been adding time over the years. King of the Hill will kick off the lineup in the 8 PM hour, a role that it currently serves in the 9 PM hour. (Multichannel News)
• Last week was a great week for showrunner Chuck Lorre. Lorre, who has four primetime sitcoms that he can call his own on CBS, managed to have all four of his sitcoms land in the Nielsen Top 20 last week among adults last week, a feat that hasn't been accomplished by any showrunner since the introduction of electronic ratings measurement in 1991. (Deadline)
• Of course, not everybody is a fan of Chuck Lorre. Charlie Sheen, in particular, is not a fan of Lorre, nor is he a fan of Ashton Kutcher, who replaced him on Two and a Half Men. This week on Twitter, Sheen apologized to Kutcher for some of the things he has said about him on Twitter... but then followed up with another tweet that was a lot less pleasant. (Deadline)
• Good Times turns 40 years old today, and you can celebrate the anniversary with the 12 hour marathon airing today on Antenna TV. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• We've posted plenty of very credible rumors about releases of The Donna Reed Show on DVD over the years (thanks to a poster on Home Theater Forum who has been regularly communicating with Mary Owen, Donna's daughter), and this week, it seems that this source has some new inside scoop regarding re-releases of the first three seasons. MPI is now working on plans to re-release the first three seasons, which were released by another studio and are now out-of-print, and fixing many of the technical problems that plagued those releases. Not all of the news is great, though. MPI has been trying to negotiate releasing the final three seasons of the series as well, and the rights for these seasons are held by Sony. Negotiations are still going on here and there really hasn't been any progress in getting this accomplished, but there seems to be some hope that something can be worked out in the future.
• Mill Creek has a few more re-releases in the horizon. On April 1, they will release The Cosby Show - Seasons 3 and 4, I Dream of Jeannie - Seasons 1 and 2, Married with Children - Seasons 3 and 4, and Newsradio - Seasons 1 and 2. Each will come at a $14.98 MSRP, but as usual, expect to find nice discounts on all of them.
• For those who didn't get the complete series release of Mama's Family (but would still like the series), Mama's Family - The Complete Fourth Season is on the way on June 24 from StarVista Entertainment. The four disc set will come at a $29.95 MSRP.
• Shout! Factory is already preparing to bring fans another season of L.A. Law, announcing it even before the upcoming release of L.A. Law - Season One. On May 20, L.A. Law - Season Two arrives on DVD at a $29.93 MSRP.
  

FEBRUARY 11 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• Newhart - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $29.93): Shout! Factory puts together the second season of this classic Bob Newhart sitcom (review).

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

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Labels: Adult Swim, Amazon Prime, Donna Reed Show, Mama's Family

Digital Digest: More Alice on DVD; My Mother, The Car Coming to DVD; More Donna Reed Show in the Horizon?

Welcome to Digital Digest! We're hoping to be back with our revamped Saturday feature (which will include all of our news, a look at upcoming releases, and some new features) next week, but until then, we've got a rather busy week of news this week! Let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

Warner Archive is back yet again this week with another new release to please classic sitcom fans! On Tuesday, the studio released another season of Alice, with Alice - The Complete Fourth Season. The three-disc, 26 episode collection is the last one to feature Polly Holiday in the role of Flo (she went off to do her own short-lived spinoff), as well as the first (and only) season to feature Diane Ladd in the role of Belle.

Meanwhile, TGG, which has been working with MGM to release some of their classic series lately, had a pleasant surprise as well this week of a series that many never thought would come to DVD. On November 12 (just a few weeks from now), the studio will release My Mother, The Car - The Series. So, notably missing in the title of this release is the word "complete," and there is a possible reason for this. The five disc set will contain 29 of the 30 episodes, and it appears that one episode, "My Son the Ventriloquist," will NOT be included if the information provided on amazon.com is correct (and we should add that it is entirely possible that the information provided COULD be incorrect, and it may just be complete after all). Oddly enough, this episode is available on Hulu, so we're not quite sure what the problem might be. Still, this is almost the complete series, and considering the reputation that the series has in TV history, it is great that we are even seeing most of the episodes.

Could we see more of The Donna Reed Show on DVD? Right now, the short answer to that question seems to be "no," but there has been some banter on the Home Theater Forum message boards suggesting that the final three seasons of the series could be coming to DVD eventually. The series has had an odd history on DVD, with the first three seasons released by Virgil Films, then the fourth and fifth seasons being released by the much more stable MPI. All of the first five seasons are owned by Donna Reed's estate, but rights for the last three seasons are held by Sony. It seems that one particular member on Home Theater Forum (and we should add, this particular member was the first to bring others the information that MPI was working on the fourth and fifth seasons, several months before anything definitive came to light... so we don't doubt his credibility) has found out through contact with Mary Owen (Donna Reed's daughter) that MPI is supposedly in talks with Sony to release those remaining seasons. To be clear, the same member has indicated that Mary Owen is a bit skeptical herself as to whether or not a deal will be worked out, but it is important to remember that Sony has been known to license almost anything to smaller studios, including even Mill Creek. So we're going to watch this closely, and hopefully something will develop from this!

Warner Home Video (not to be confused with Warner Archive) has mostly given up on older TV series, but not Family Matters, it seems! This week, they announced that Family Matters - The Complete Fourth Season will make it to DVD on February 4. The three disc set will contain all 24 episodes of the fourth season of the classic TGIF series.

Finally, with Perry Mason wrapped up on DVD, fans were left to wonder if the TV films from the late '80s and early '90s would follow... and this week, CBS gave us an answer! On December 31 (before the end of this year), we'll see Perry Mason - Movie Collection, Volume 1. The release will contain six (presumably the first six, but we don't know that yet) of the made-for-TV movies starring Raymond Burr. In total, there were 30 of these films, with the first 26 featuring Burr and the final four made after his death.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW



Tuesday (October 29) has little to offer, aside from HBO's release of Family Tree - Season One.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Gavin MacLeod (Twitter), "Gavin's career spans over fifty years in TV, Film, and Broadway. This is Gavin's official Twitter page."
Claim to Fame: Starting out with small movie roles, MacLeod came to fame in the TV world in his role in McHale's Navy. Of course, his real fame came years later when he was cast as Murray Slaughter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a role that he held for seven seasons. This was followed up with his role as Captain Stubing, a role for which he earned three Golden Globe nominations. This past week, he released his book, This Is Your Captain Speaking: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith & Life, which talks about his own life and the ups and downs he has faced, all of which seems to have gone well for him in recent years.
Pick of the Tweets: "It's taken 60 years to have a dream come true! Getting free underwear from @fruitoftheloom is as amazing to me as winning an Oscar." (October 23, 2013)

That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!

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

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Labels: Alice, Digital Digest, Donna Reed Show, Family Matters, My Mother the Car

SitcomsOnline.com 2013-14 Upfront Preview: The CW; MeTV's Moms of Me Marathon; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 13, 2013)

And we enter our last network upfront preview: The CW. The CW continues to struggle, but it did launch a new hit in Arrow and it is getting rid of duds like 90210 and Gossip Girl finally. America's Next Top Model has an uncertain future, while The CW still has no sitcoms. When will that change?
Here is the SitcomsOnline.com The CW 2013-14 preview:

New Series Already Picked-Up: The Originals (drama), The Tomorrow People (drama), The Hundred (drama), Reign (drama) and Oxygen (drama).
Already Renewed Returning Series: Arrow, Beauty & The Beast, Hart of Dixie, Supernatural, The Carrie Diaries, Nikita and The Vampire Diaries.
Likely Returning Series: America's Next Top Model, Oh Sit!
Likey To Be Canceled or Already Canceled: 90210, Gossip Girl, Cult, and Emily Owens MD.
Likely Other New Series: None (but we predicted the five series they would pick-up).

OUR FALL 2013 PREDICTION:

Mondays
8:00PM The Originals (NEW!)
9:00PM The Hundred (NEW!)

Tuesdays
8:00PM Reign (NEW!)
9:00PM Hart of Dixie

Wednesdays
8:00PM Arrow
9:00PM Supernatural

Thursdays
8:00PM Vampire Diaries
9:00PM The Tomorrow People (NEW!)

Fridays
8:00PM Nikita
9:00PM Drama Encores

Comments: The CW continues to struggle but they found out this season they need air more shows like its new hit Arrow and less shows like 90210. Most of its new series for 2013-14 fit that and that's good. Let's detail the fall schedule prediction for The CW. For Mondays, I would certainly change the night completely. At 8pm, they could try the Vampire Diaries spin-off The Originals to try and bring some life back to this night. At 9pm, they should just air something new because that would be fresh and better. They could try drama The 100, which sounds unique and well-made. The Carrie Diaries could be used on this night in mid-season or even on another night, wherever needed. Moving on to Tuesdays, they should lead-off with the period soap Reign at 8. Why? Because Hart of Dixie is struggling in the slot and needs to be moved to 9pm. They need to start the night better. If anything fails, they should go with a back-up plan like The Carrie Diaries or even America's Next Top Model, which should be aired on this night instead of Fridays. Wednesdays should;d remain the same, because its the most consistent and their best night overall. Arrow has done a great job kick starting the night and they have used veteran Supernatural well at 9pm to make a good 1-2 punch (CW style, that is). If for some reason they want to test a new drama here, it should be alien series Oxygen.

For Thursday, their top gun The Vampire Diaries will continue to lead off the night at 8pm and is probably the surest best, even more so than the Wednesday shows. They should and will likely go with the new drama The Tomorrow People at 9pm, as that sounds like a perfect companion to the lead-in. The CW should hold on to Beauty & the Beast for mid-season and air it on this night or any other night that needs help. The CW has a lot more options next season it seems, and that's good. They could also share timeslots to cut back on repeats, as nothing really repeats well on this network, save for maybe Arrow. The only time The CW should be in repeats is December. They can't afford to be in repeats anytime else in the season.  And finally on Fridays, they will likely remain as is with Nikita returning at 8, followed by encores of dramas at 9. I don't think America's Next Top Model should be on this night if it returns. It would be better suited for a short-run to give something a break in mid-season. I'm not too big of a CW watcher, so not sure what they could do to cut down on repeats besides ordering many new shows, but sound off on our link below. It's tough having no comedies because that would have some repeat value.
Discuss your thoughts on our prediction and feel free to make suggestions of your own.

Remember, next Thursday (May 16) is the actual date when we will find out The CW's plans for the 2013-14 season. So, come on back next Thursday and we will let you know the details and you can see how much we were right (or wrong).
And as a reminder, stay tuned starting Sunday evening (through Thursday) for all the final schedules released by all the networks! We will put them up as soon as they are released by the networks, so this will be your home to see them first! Join us.

Moving on to some news, in honor of Mother's Day this Sunday, The MeTV Network will be showcasing a full day of classic sitcoms celebrating Moms of MeTV! This Sunday, MeTV will be looking back at moms featured in classic sitcoms. The moms of The Donna Reed Show, Leave it to Beaver, I Dream of Jeanie, That Girl, Love American Style, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show. We get an episode of each, except The Donna Reed Show will start the block off with back-to-back episodes. All of this is part of the MeTV Sunday Showcase: Moms of Me. It all airs Sunday, May 12, 2013 beginning at 3|2c, as The MeTV Sunday Showcase spends Mother's Day with the moms of MeTV! It's nice moms and...other moms. Watch the promo and watch this Sunday! Stay with us for continued updates on all things MeTV!


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of May 13-17, 2013, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, May 13, 2013

• John Cho (Go On/Kitchen Confidential/Off Centre) - Watch John on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development/Better Off Ted) - Portia visits Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am to discuss the return of Arrested Development.
• Mila Kunis (That '70s Show) - Mila appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi stops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
• Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother/Free Spirit) - Alyson is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Gabourey Sidibe (The Big C) - Gabourey chats on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Krysten Ritter (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Krysten appears on a repeat of Anderson Live, so check your local listings.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

• Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Catch Tom on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Ken Jeong (Community) - Ken drops by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC. He also talks about The Hangover: Part III on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
• Peter Facinelli (Nurse Jackie) - Peter is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• Justin Bartha (The New Normal) - Justin visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules) - Tune in to see Kaley on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
• David Alan Grier (Less Than Perfect/DAG) - David stops by The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Keshia Knight Pulliam (The Cosby Show/Tyler Perry's House of Payne) - Keshia reminisces on her time in the long-running hit comedy and opens up about her nonprofit Kamp Kizzy, an organization dedicated to empowering young women, on Marie at 12pm on Hallmark Channel.
• Diahann Carroll (Julia) - Diahann is a guest on Tavis Smiley, so check your local listings.
• Patricia Heaton (The Middle/Back to You/Everybody Loves Raymond) - Patricia joins Michael Symon as he makes chocolate caramel peanut bars with buttered popcorn gelato on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse joins the GMA team as a special guest in the 8am hour on ABC's Good Morning America.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

• Ed Helms (The Office) - Watch Ed on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about The Hangover: Part III on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
• Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick is a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Julie Bowen (Modern Family) - Tune in to see Julie on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi is a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Jim Gaffigan (My Boys/Welcome to New York) - Jim stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse visits LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Ricky Schroder (Silver Spoons) - Ricky appears on a repeat of Anderson Live, so check your local listings.
• Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Will and his son, Jaden, are guests on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
• Eden Sher (The Middle) - Eden guest co-hosts The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Susan Olsen (The Brady Bunch) - Susan reveals her fondest memories with TV dad, Robert Reed, and opens up about the challenges she has overcome while raising her son with Asperger’s Syndrome on Marie at 12pm on Hallmark Channel.
• Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Eric joins the GMA team as a special guest in the 8am hour on ABC's Good Morning America.
• Candace Cameron Bure (Full House) - Candace will be on NBC's Today between 10-11am.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

• Connie Britton (Spin City/The Fighting Fitzgeralds) - Catch Connie on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Paul Reiser (Mad About You/My Two Dads) - Paul stops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) - Yvette is a guest on The Jeff Probst Show, so check your local listings.
• Eve (Eve) - Eve talks about her highly anticipated new album, Lip Lock, on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.

Friday, May 17, 2013

• Will Arnett (Arrested Development/Up All Night) - Watch Will on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) - Edie appears on a repeat of Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• Connie Britton (Spin City/The Fighting Fitzgeralds) - Connie continues to make the rounds on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Arsenio Hall (Arsenio) - Arsenio chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation) - Rob visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings. He will also be on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.

Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

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

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Labels: Bob Newhart Show, Donna Reed Show, I Dream of Jeannie, Leave it to Beaver, Mary Tyler Moore Show, ME-TV, Talk Shows, That Girl, The CW, Upfronts

Love Is In the Air on the MeTV Sunday Showcase; Episodic Review: The Middle - "The Friend" Airing Tonight on ABC

With Valentine's Day about three weeks away, The MeTV Network is getting ready as love is in the air on the MeTV Sunday Showcase! That's of course a weekly block of various themes, stunts, and marathons every Sunday from 3-7PM ET. The Valentine's stunt will be airing on Sunday, Feb. 10 from 3-7PM with various comedies showcasing episodes dealing with love and romance. Kicking it off will be an episode of The Honeymooners, where The Kramdens and Nortons visit the Wedemeyers and the wives believe their husbands are neglecting them. Following that will be an episode of Make Room for Daddy, where Terry thinks that Danny and Kathy's marriage has lost its spark, so she advises each of them to be more romantic toward the other. Then it's The Dick Van Dyke Show, as Laura and Rob plan to see a play but she gets locked in a bathroom at their hotel. Other series airing in this stunt are The Mothers-In-Law, Love American Style, I Dream of Jeannie, The Brady Bunch and The Bob Newhart Show. It's a classic Brady Bunch episode where Mike and Carol switch roles for a day in order to prove a day with the opposite sex involves much less work, as Carol must help the boys with baseball practice and Mike must help Marcia with a cooking badge. Classic!

And the week prior, on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 3), The MeTV Sunday Showcase will feature a four-hour marathon of The Donna Reed Show! That's a nice way to showcase the comedy since it airs early mornings on weekdays. Keep it right here for further updates on MeTV!

On the next...The Middle:
By: Pavan

ABC's Comedy Wednesday sitcom starring Patrica Heaton airs Wednesday nights at 8:00pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (Jan. 23). The episode features The Heck family doing what they do the best, being a real family. In the episode airing tonight, "The Friend," Mike (Neil Flynn) is upset with Frankie (Patrica Heaton) when he discovers that she set him up on an adult playdate with a new neighbor (guest star David Koechner) who shares the same interests. Meanwhile, when the school cheerleaders announce that they're taking over cheering for the wrestlers - thus putting Sue (Eden Sher) and her Wrestlerettes out of business - a determined Sue demands a cheer off; and Brick (Atticus Shaffer) makes a lovesick Axl (Charlie McDermott) begin to question whether he's intellectually stimulating enough for his smart, new girlfriend.

On this hilarious all-new episode, we are presented three different storylines. And as usual, The Heck family rocks it! A couple of weeks ago the episode "Life Skills" showscased the show perfectly and this is once again one of those episode that just works very well and clicks on all cylinders. The good thing about this show is that it just feels so real. The main plot of this episode is about Frankie meeting a new couple that has moved into the neighborhood, and we all know Frankie always means well but she can be kind of meddling. She sees the husband is just a fun guy and she realizes well Mike is not. She secretly sets up a "play date" between the two and of course Mike finds out. The two get along really well, so you'll have to see what happens next! As for the kids, Sue's job as a Wrestlerette is in jeopardy when the school cheerleaders announce they will do triple duty and are now also cheering on the wrestlers because they are supposed to do well. Sue Heck is just a breath of fresh air and won't let anything stand in her way, no matter what everything thinks. She is like a perfect role model for teenage girls these days and that you don't need to be popular to have a great outlook on life. Anyway, in the end it's a cheer off when the cheerleaders battle the Wrestlerettes on who will cheer on the wrestling team. It's hilarious but also so well done! "Remember my name!" And the storyline with Brick and Axl also is fun and factual. Axl is dating a smart girl and Brick notices that all they have is a physical attraction and they don't talk, so he questions Axl saying that she might get bored soon because they don't have a friendship and intellectual stimulation. Yeah, Brick's been reading Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. He thought it was going to be a science fiction book, ha. Anyway, Axl takes Brick's advice and we get to see Axl try to have a conversation with Cassidy. How will it go? It's going to be fun, that's for sure! B+

The Middle as always is on its game. Even in its fourth season, the plots are fresh and its such a real-take on families in America, especially in middle America. I think America can really relate to the Heck family and that's why it does so well and audiences embrace it. I just wish it gets more props when everyone mentions their best current comedies. It's just as good as any comedy out there today. The Hecks are like the modern day Brady Bunch and like that show, it will be a part of pop-culture for years to come. Each member of the family is vital to the show and I always look forward every Wednesday to see what topic they deal with next, because you can always relate to something from the episode. The character of Sue Heck might go down in TV history as the most positive TV character of all-time. She may have a clueless exterior, but she knows what she is doing and that's why she's always so happy. Anyway, tune in tonight for another fine episode that we all have come to expect from this show for the last four years. The Middle is not in the middle class of comedies, it's in the high class. It's definitely deserving to be on the top 5 lists of everyone's top 5 lists for not only TV comedies, but of all TV shows on television today! Go Hecks!

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

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Labels: ABC, Bob Newhart Show, Brady Bunch, Dick Van Dyke Show, Donna Reed Show, Episodic Review, I Dream of Jeannie, Make Room for Daddy, ME-TV, Mothers-In-Law, The Honeymooners, The Middle

Digital Digest: The Donna Reed Show Season 5 DVD News; The Streets of San Francisco - Season 4 (Volume 1 and Volume 2) DVD Review; Kojak - Season Five DVD Review

Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, the news is painfully slow... but we've got a double review weekend with our reviews of The Streets of San Francisco - Season 4 (Volume 1 and Volume 2) as well as Kojak - Season Five. And if you've been following our blog for the past few weeks, you'll know that we have a new blog feature which we're going to unveil this week... keep reading and you'll find our new feature, Follow Me, at the end of today's blog!

DIGITAL NEWS

We've stumbled upon a very slow news week this week, but there has been one major highlight for fans one of the "original" classic sitcoms. This week, Mary Owen announced on the We Love The Donna Reed Show Facebook page that the fifth season of The Donna Reed Show is scheduled to be released on December 4. Of course, Owen is certainly "in the know" on these issues... after all, she is the daughter of Donna Reed and she is also the one who licensed the DVD rights to MPI! Still, we must stress that while we have no doubt that this set will likely be released soon, MPI has been known to slightly delay some DVD releases, and the December 4 date may not be set in stone yet. But we'll let you know more when we know more!

New content has been added to Amazon Prime, and this time, it includes recent episodes of popular NBC series! This week, it was announced that Parks and Recreation, Parenthood, and Friday Night Lights, and more would be added to the service... and they're already available! If you subscribe to the service, which costs about $80 a year (or half that amount if you have a college/university e-mail address), you can watch unlimited streaming episodes of these series.

Fans of the classic sitcom Family Ties are waiting to get the final two seasons on DVD, and although we'd like to say that we have good news to report on this, we don't... but you can buy digital copies of the episodes on iTunes! This actually appeared on the service a few weeks ago, but you can finish out your collection with episodes to keep through iTunes. Of course, if you want a streaming option, the episodes are also still available on Netflix.

UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (September 4) brings a flood of DVDs to the market, including a bit of the old and new. We'll start with the new. One of my favorite series (and to be honest, it took me a long time to warm up to it) returns to DVD and Blu-ray, with The Office - Season Eight (DVD, DVD/Blu-ray/Ultraviolet). Another NBC favorite heads to DVD with Parks and Recreation - Season Four. The CBS series 2 Broke Girls debuts on DVD with 2 Broke Girls - The Complete First Season (DVD, Blu-ray). HBO has How to Make it in America - The Complete Second Season (DVD, Blu-ray). We wrap up the new with ABC's release of Grey's Anatomy - The Complete Eighth Season.

Now onto the old! Most of it comes from Mill Creek and their releases from the Carsey-Werner library. These releases include Roseanne - The Complete Fifth Season, Roseanne - The Complete Sixth Season, That '70s Show - The Complete Fifth Season, That '70s Show - The Complete Sixth Season, and Grounded for Life - The Complete Series

We will have reviews for most (if not all) of these sets in the next few days.

BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

 

Blog DVD Review: The Streets of San Francisco - Season 4, Volume 1 and Volume 2 (CBS, $39.98 each)

by skees53

Lt. Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) are back together again one final time in The Streets of San Francisco - Season 4, Volumes 1 and 2! While the fourth season isn't the final season of the series, it is the last season to feature Stone and Keller as the team working together to solve crimes in San Francisco, as the fifth (and final) season saw Douglas leaving the series to go on to bigger things in his own career. But before we get to that season, we still have this season of the classic team of Stone and Keller as the men solving crimes on the streets of San Francisco on these two volumes of the fourth season!

As we've done with many other recent DVD season sets split into volumes (with both released on the same day), we're combining both volumes into one review. The sets are pretty similar, and we'll be careful to make any distinctions between each volume.

Volume 1 begins with "Poisoned Snow," where a narcotics officer has had too much and puts some cocaine out on the street laced with cyanide. Mark Hamill guest stars. A sniper targets a high-rise building and agrees to stop, for a price, in "The Glass Dart Board." In "No Place to Hide," drug smugglers in a maximum security prison are working to get the wives of the inmates to do their dirty work... or else. In "Men Will Die," the head of a rape survivor organization is out for revenge, and it could be deadly. Vera Miles guest stars. Robert Hegyes and Maurice Evans guest star in "School of Fear," where a former teacher (Evans) realizes he has had enough of delinquent students after an ex-colleague is murdered by one, and decides to take delinquent students hostage in his a school of his own. Meredith Baxter and Gerald McRaney guest star in "Deadly Silence," where Stone's life is at risk after he kills a robber.

In "Murder by Proxy," Stone and Keller investigate what a shady land developer may have to do with a neighborhood besieged by robbery and murder. John Ritter and Sorrell Booke guest star. A jewelry store owner is killed by a group of sailors in "Trail of Terror." A jewel heist that resulted in the death of a cop is complicated when a pathological liar who claims to have witnessed the crime in "Web of Lies."  Stone and Killer believe that a radio show host (Larry Hagman) killed is pregnant girlfriend in "Dead Air." A missing crate of guns intensifies an investigation of a deadly gang rivalry in "Merchants of Death." In "The Cat's Paw," Stone's latest case mixes too much business with pleasure.

Volume 2 begins with "Spooks for Sale," where Stone and Keller are put in the middle of a burglary case involving high-tech espionage and rival businessmen. Tom Selleck guest stars. Stone and Keller investigate the murder of a teacher in "Most Likely to Succeed." In "Police Buff," a wannabe cop with a police scanner becomes a vigilante... with deadly results. Robert Reed guest stars in "The Honorable Profession," where a doctor treats a mortally wounded cop... except he is an imposture and Stone's only witness. A bishop is shot in "Requiem for Murder," but the case is complicated when he protects the shooter. A cop goes undercover as a bookie after his gambler brother is killed by a hitman in "Underground."

In "Judgement Day," a string of murdered judges leads to the son of a disbarred lawyer. Stone's investigation of retired circus brothers turns him into a clown in "Clown of Death." In "Superstar," a tough New York City cop comes to San Francisco to pursue his partner's killer. An undocumented immigrant is suspected of killing an immigration officer in "Alien Country." The season ends with "Runaway," where a hunt for a criminal is impeded by the fugitive's teen daughter, who is also searching for her long-lost father.

The episodes appear to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:

Volume 1

Disc 1:
1. "Poisoned Snow" (50:03)
2. "The Glass Dart Board" (50:05)
3. "No Place to Hide" (50:05)
4. "Men Will Die" (50:02)

Disc 2:
5. "School of Fear" (50:04)
6. "Deadly Silence" (50:36)
7. "Murder by Proxy" (50:35)
8. "Trail of Terror" (50:37)

Disc 3:
9. "Web of Lies" (50:34)
10. "Dead Air" (50:31)
11. "Merchants of Death" (50:03)
12. "The Cat's Paw" (50:36)

Volume 2

Disc 1:
1. "Spooks for Sale" (50:35)
2. "Most Likely to Succeed" (50:35)
3. "Police Buff" (50:35)
4. "Honorable Profession" (50:23)

Disc 2:
5. "Requiem for Murder" (50:32)
6. "Underground" (50:34)
7. "Judgment Day" (50:33)
8. "Clown of Death" (50:35)

Disc 3:
9. "Superstar" (50:37)
10. "Alien Country" (50:35)
11. "Runaway" (50:34)

We've got a Viva case for the sets once again (which I'm sure will continue for the final season when that one is released in a few weeks), with each set featuring a different photo of Stone and Keller on the cover. Volume 1 uses a red color scheme for the background behind the series title, while Volume 2 uses a blue color scheme. The back of each case describes the episodes on each volume, and gives a few episode snapshots. Inside each case, you'll find the three discs, which have no artwork other than the series logo on a gray background. Episode titles, descriptions, and airdates are printed inside the case, as is typical for CBS releases.

The menus on the set are like the previous releases. The main menu on both volumes has Stone and Keller on them, with videos playing in the background along with the theme song. Options from the main menu include Play All, Episodes, and Subtitles. Once you select Episodes, you get an animated transition to the list of episodes, which has an episode snapshot in the background. Chapters are placed throughout each episode at all of the appropriate places.

Once again, I feel that CBS has hit audio and video perfection (or close to it) with these episodes. While the episodes aren't perfect (what is?), they do look really good and I don't think that there is really anything to complain about. Of course, the entire series has been remastered in HD, and these episodes really show that. The mono audio is very loud and clear, without any real issues. And each episode contains English subtitles.

We don't have any special features yet again for the series.

Once again, we have two more decent releases of a season of the series, but of course, we're still without special features. But it is great to see that they have truly cleaned up these episodes to as close to perfection as is likely even possible. We're only a few weeks away from the fifth (and final) season of the series, so it won't be long until we'll have the entire series on DVD. The fifth season has already been remastered into HD, so I don't believe that there will be any problem with quality on that set either. That there were some reunion movies for this series well after the final season, so hopefully we'll see those somewhere along the way as well. If you're a fan of '70s police dramas, you're certain to enjoy this set.

(4/5 stars)

To purchase The Streets of San Francisco - Season Four (both volumes), click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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To purchase The Streets of San Francisco - Season Four, Volume 1, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

To purchase The Streets of San Francisco - Season Four, Volume 2, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Streets of San Francisco on TV.com

BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

Blog DVD Review: Kojak - Season Five (Shout! Factory, $44.99)

by skees53

Kojak is back one last time, for Kojak - Season Five! The final season of the classic detective drama starring Telly Savalas as he tries to solve all of the major crimes and murders on the streets of New York City. Created by Abby Mann, the series ran from 1973-1978 on CBS and created a legacy that lasted with TV movies going into the '80s and '90s.

The season begins with "The Queen of Hearts is Wild," where a witness in the murder of a police officer could help Kojak a lot... if her boyfriend didn't hate him. A psychotic killer thinks he is getting messages to kill from a talk show host in "A Strange Kind of Love." In "Laid Off," a laid-off police officer takes a bribe to support his sick wife. It's all out gang war in "Cry for the Kids." In "Once More From Birdland," a singer is determined to prove that father who has been in prison for 14 years is innocent. Kojak is out to find a missing $6 million. A model receives anonymous messages warning of a murder in "Letters of Death." In "Tears for All Who Loved Her," Crocker gets involved in romance while investigating a murder.

In the two-part episode "The Summer of '69," Kojak goes back in time eight years to when he killed a suspect in a murder case... but now he realizes that he may have killed the wrong guy. Kojak poses as a murdered private detective to find out why the man was killed in "Case Without a File." A detective is up against his wife's divorce lawyer after an arsonist destroys his boat in "I Could Kill My Wife's Lawyer." Kojak considers leaving the police department to become a private investigator for a law firm in "Justice For All." A surgeon may be performing unnecessary surgeries to pay off gambling debts in "Mouse." In "Chain of Custody," Kojak's reaction to an incompetent prosecutor gets him suspended from the force. Kojak tries to protect Captain McNeil's widowed sister-in-law from big-time gamblers in "The Captain's Brother's Wife."

Kojak helps a jealous police officer search for a professional hit man in "No License to Kill." In "The Halls of Terror," Kojak goes undercover in a hospital in an attempt to solve a string of murders. A retired police officer is injured after attempting to prevent the theft of a race horse in "May the Horse Be With You." In "Photo Must Credit Joe Paxton," a photographer becomes the prime suspect in a phony kidnapping and jewel theft. Crocker is taken hostage while transporting a prisoner back to New York in "60 Miles to Hell." The season ends with "In Full Command," where a disgruntled inspector (played by Danny Thomas) is willing to do anything to boost his career... no matter how awful.

The episodes appear to be unedited, although one does run about a minute shorter than the rest. I'm not sure if there is anything actually missing, though. Runtimes as follows:

Disc 1:

1. "The Queen of Hearts is Wild" (49:19)
2. "A Strange Kind of Love" (49:28)
3. "Laid Off" (49:14)
4. "Cry for the Kids" (49:26)

Disc 2:

5. "Once More From Birdland" (49:23)
6. "Caper on a Quiet Street" (49:27)
7. "Letters of Death" (49:25)
8. "Tears for All Who Loved Her" (49:24)

Disc 3:

9. "The Summer of '69 (Part 1)" (49:26)
10. "The Summer of '69 (Part 2)" (47:53)
11. "Case Without a File" (49:27)
12. "I Could Kill My Wife's Lawyer" (49:22)

Disc 4:

13. "Justice for All" (49:27)
14. "Mouse" (49:26)
15. "Chain of Custody" (49:27)
16. "The Captain's Brother's Wife" (49:26)

Disc 5:

17. "No License to Kill" (49:25)
18. "The Halls of Terror" (49:28)
19. "May the Horse Be With You" (49:23)

Disc 6:

20. "Photo Must Credit Joe Paxton" (49:28)
21. "60 Miles to Hell" (49:27)
22. "In Full Command" (49:27)

Once again, the set is packaged in a standard Viva-case. The cover art shows Kojak in front of the New York City skyline, while the back has several cast photos and gives a brief description of the season. Inside the case, you'll find the six discs, which just have the series logo and a grayscale photo of the Brooklyn Bridge on them. The episode titles, descriptions, and airdates are printed inside the case.

The menus for this set have evolved a bit with the new opening credits used for this season. The menu starts like the opening credits of the series with the flashing letters of the series title and the opening theme song playing in the background. The main menu gives options of Play All, along with a list of the episodes, with a head shot of Kojak to the right of the episodes. Chapters are placed at all of the commercial breaks.

There really aren't any concerns with the video and audio quality, but it isn't perfect. It looks about like any filmed series from the '70s would look on DVD without a whole lot of remastering. There is a little bit of grain and debris, but it isn't out of control. The mono audio is fine for the most part. Unfortunately, there are no subtitles or closed-captions.

There are no special features again this time. It would have been nice to have seen more of the "family interviews" to discuss the end of the series.

It is hard to believe, but we've reached completion for this series... and we've really gotten everything imaginable. Every single episode of the series has been released, every single movie (including the pilot and ABC Mystery Movies) has been released, and they've been mostly (all?) unedited as far as I can tell. Combined with the nice interviews included on some of the earlier releases, fans of Kojak should be pleased with what we've managed to get with these DVDs... especially since the series seemed to have been abandoned after the release of the first season in 2005, only to be revived less than a year ago to bring us the four remaining series and all of the movies. Fans of the series won't want to miss out on this set to complete their collection.

(4/5 stars)

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FOLLOW ME

Before we jump in full-force to this new section of Digital Digest, we thought that we should briefly introduce what we'll be doing here every week. In recent years, we've seen a lot of our favorite sitcom stars and other people (and even things) connected to sitcoms become more social with their fans through Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks out there. In our new feature, we will highlight Twitter accounts or Facebook pages that we think are worth following, with each one being presented in a different way. We're kicking off this feature with a theme for the month of September, where we'll feature stars of some of the new fall series. Now, enough with the intro... let's jump into this full-fledged!

Who to Follow: Matthew Perry (Twitter), star of NBC's Go On (premieres September 11)
Claim to Fame: Chandler Bing in the NBC series Friends, and starred on series which were much less successful such as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Mr. Sunshine
Tweets/Status Topics: Like many currently active celebrities, he likes to talk about the current happenings in his career and the daily life along the way. Lately he has been mostly discussing Go On, leading into the debut in just a few weeks. He does Tweet personal things about his life and family not related to his career, though, and also tends to get really active with his Tweets around Stanley Cup time.
Pick of the Tweets: "Sitting down to watch my first episode of Downton Abbey. Will everyone kindly get off my back about it now please?!?" (May 1, 2012)

That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:30 PM

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Labels: Blog DVD Reviews, Digital Digest, Donna Reed Show, Kojak, Streets of San Francisco