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MeTV January 2026 Schedule; Netflix's My Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Season 6 Guests

As we mentioned, MeTV is ringing in the new year with some new shows to MeTV! Joining the MeTV lineup alongside favorites like The Andy Griffith Show, M*A*S*H and Bonanza comes new retro hit shows.

The new schedule with the following shows premieres starting December 29, 2025, when they welcome the following new additions: Hawaii Five-O weekdays at 11AM (replacing In the Heat of the Night), Charlie's Angels Sundays at 2PM (replacing The Beverly Hillbillies), Hart to Hart Sundays at 3PM (replacing Gilligan's Island) and Fantasy Island Sundays at 4PM (replacing Mama's Family).

Leaving the lineup are: In the Heat of the Night, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Gilligan's Island and Mama's Family, as The Beverly Hillbillies on Sundays moves to 11am & 11:30am replacing Happy Days & Laverne & Shirley. Perhaps some of these shows leaving will head to MeTV+, since they have Hawaii Five-O.

View the new lineup and full schedule here. Discuss the changes on our message boards.

Netflix announced the guests included in this season's Emmy Award-winning My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. The sixth season premieres on December 16 and features conversations with actor, director, and producer Michael B. Jordan, creator sensation and entrepreneur MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson), and Emmy and Screen Actors Guild award-winning actor, producer and director Jason Bateman.

Combining humor, curiosity and in-depth conversations with extraordinary people, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman has Letterman back in the host's chair, following a 33-year reign in late night. The critically acclaimed series won the Emmy for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special in 2024 and has received seven Emmy nominations in its five seasons.

In 27 episodes across five seasons and three specials, My Next Guest has featured notables including Barack Obama, Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, JAY-Z, Robert Downey Jr., Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dave Chappelle, Miley Cyrus, Caitlin Clark, and Billie Eilish.

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

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Labels: Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Happy Days, Hart to Hart, Hawaii Five-0, Laverne and Shirley, ME-TV, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Netflix

MeTV Acquires Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart & Hawaii Five-O; Apple TV's The First Snow of Fraggle Rock Trailer

As announced last night during Everybody Loves Raymond on MeTV, the network has acquired four new shows. Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart and Hawaii Five-O. For Charlie's Angels and Hawaii Five-O this will be a return to MeTV after many years, while Fantasy Island and Hart to Hart will make their MeTV debuts.

The new schedule with the following shows premieres starting December 29, 2025, when MeTV welcomes the following new additions:

Hawaii Five-O - Weekdays at 11A | 10C
Charlie's Angels - Sundays at 2P | 1C
Hart to Hart - Sundays at 3P | 2C
Fantasy Island - Sundays at 4P | 3C

See the new lineup and full schedule here! Discuss the changes on our message boards.

Apple TV debuted the trailer for the all-new holiday special The First Snow of Fraggle Rock, set to premiere globally on Friday, December 5. The special features a cameo appearance by musical artist and internet sensation Lele Pons that includes a duet of the classic, beloved Fraggle Rock song "Our Melody" with Gobo, along with two other holiday numbers.

The Fraggles eagerly await the first snow of the season and all the traditions it brings, but when only a single snowflake arrives and Gobo can't write the yearly holiday song everyone is expecting, the season is thrown off course. For the first time ever, Gobo journeys to the human world - or, as the Fraggles refer to it: Outer Space - to find some unexpected musical inspiration. And in another first, back at the Gorgs' castle, Junior is overwhelmed by the arrival of a new baby Gorg joining the family. This holiday season, the Fraggles and Gorgs learn that beautiful moments aren't always perfect - but they can be as unique and memorable as snowflakes.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 9:00 AM

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Labels: Apple TV+, Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Fraggle Rock, Hart to Hart, Hawaii Five-0, ME-TV

Fox Summer 2023 Schedule; Apple TV+ Announces Michael J. Fox Movie

Fox is announcing premiere dates for the summer 2023 slate of original programming, including Crime Scene Kitchen (Mon May 22), Beat Shazam (Tue May 23), Don't Forget The Lyrics (Tue May 23), Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars (Wed May 24) and MasterChef (Wed May 24). Additional summer programming to be announced. Season finale dates for the in-season programs are as follows: Animal Control (Thu 5/4); Call Me Kat (Thu 5/4); Family Guy (Sun 5/7); Fantasy Island (Mon 5/8); Accused (Tue 5/9); Next Level Chef (2-hour finale, Thu 5/11); 9-1-1 (Mon 5/15); 9-1-1: Lone Star (2-hour finale, Tue 5/16); The Masked Singer (Wed 5/17); Farmer Wants a Wife (Wed 5/17); The Simpsons (Sun 5/21); The Great North (Sun 5/21) and Bob's Burgers (Sun 5/21).

Joel McHale returns to the scene of the tasty crime, as baking competition series Crime Scene Kitchen launches with a special two-hour premiere on Monday, May 22 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). The all-new season then makes its time period premiere the following week on Monday, May 29 (9:00-10:00 ET/PT). Hosted and executive-produced by award-winning actor, singer and comedian Jamie Foxx, who is joined by his daughter, producer and activist Corinne Foxx as co-host and deejay, Beat Shazam returns with an all-new season on Tuesday, May 23 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). The music continues on Tuesdays as Emmy Award nominee Niecy Nash hosts a brand-new season of the popular game show Don't Forget The Lyrics! (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), following Beat Shazam (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on Tuesday, May 23. The game show challenges contestants' musical memory, as they get one song closer to winning $1 million if they Don't Forget The Lyrics!. Contestants will choose songs from different genres, decades and musical artists.

As previously announced, MasterChef: United Tastes of America enters its 13th season with an all-new theme Wednesday, May 24 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). Culinary titan Gordon Ramsay sets aside his razor-sharp knives for the cutthroat business world in the all-new competition series Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars, putting food and drink industry entrepreneurs through a multitude of challenges designed to showcase their business skills, test their drive and convince Ramsay they have what it takes to earn his personal investment of $250,000. As previously announced, the series premieres Wednesday, May 24 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) following the Season 13 premiere of MasterChef (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT).

Apple Original Films unveiled the trailer for the highly anticipated film, STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie starring Michael J. Fox (Family Ties, Spin City, Back to the Future) and Tracy Pollan, directed by Academy Award winner, Davis Guggenheim. The film, which incorporates documentary, archival and scripted elements, recounts Fox's extraordinary story in his own words - the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood. The account of Fox's public life, full of nostalgic thrills and cinematic gloss, unspools alongside his never-before-seen private journey, including the years that followed his diagnosis, at 29, with Parkinson's disease. Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film chronicles Fox's personal and professional triumphs and travails, and explores what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease. With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film feels like ... well, like a Michael J. Fox movie.

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

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Labels: 9-1-1, Animal Control, Apple TV+, Bob's Burgers, Call Me Kat, Family Guy, Family Ties, Fantasy Island, Fox, Spin City, The Great North, The Michael J. Fox Show, The Simpsons

ABC Midseason 2023 Schedule; Fox 2023 Midseason Schedule

ABC announced the 2022-2023 midseason premiere dates for two new drama series, a new comedy series and a new unscripted series as well as dates for fan-favorite returning series. A new Tuesday night block begins Tuesday, Jan. 3, with a crossover event when The Rookie returns on its new day at 8 p.m. EST, followed by The Rookie: Feds at 9 p.m. EST. Joining the night will be new crime drama Will Trent, starring Ramón Rodríguez in the title role and based on Karin Slaughter's wildly popular bestselling book series. Multiple Emmy(R) Award-winning comedy Abbott Elementary, starring and executive produced by Quinta Brunson, resumes class Wednesday, Jan. 4. Joining the series that night will be the winter premieres of Home Economics and Big Sky: Deadly Trails.

As previously announced, brand-new unscripted series The Parent Test will launch with a special series premiere following the highly anticipated debut of Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration on Thursday, Dec. 15. The series will have its regular time period debut on Thursday, Jan. 5, after the return of Celebrity Jeopardy! hosted by Mayim Bialik; and the night will be capped off with high-octane quiz show The Chase. The following night, the Sharks plunge back into the Tank to make more great deals when Shark Tank returns Friday, Jan. 6. Everyone's favorite TV family comedies, The Conners and The Goldbergs, return with all-new episodes Wednesday, Jan. 11.

The search for love continues on an all-new season of The Bachelor, where Zach Shallcross will begin his journey on Monday, Jan. 23, joined by the winter premiere of The Good Doctor. Freshman comedy Not Dead Yet, starring and executive produced by Gina Rodriguez and adapted from the work of bestselling author Alexandra Potter, will kick off its two-episode premiere event on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 8:30 p.m. EST, then treat viewers to an all-new episode in its regular time period the same night at 9:30 p.m. EST. The series will be joined by the heartfelt premiere of A Million Little Things, which will begin its celebratory farewell season. Thrilling heist drama The Company You Keep, starring and executive produced by Milo Ventimiglia, debuts Sunday, Feb. 19, joining the return of America's Funniest Home Videos and iconic music competition series American Idol. And finally, Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy return with a winter premiere event on Thursday, Feb. 23, alongside the winter premiere of Alaska Daily, starring Hilary Swank as investigative reporter Eileen Fitzgerald. More dates will be announced at a later date including series such as The Wonder Years. View the full Winter dates schedule.


Fox is also announcing premiere dates for midseason including Fantasy Island (Monday, Jan. 2), Celebrity Name That Tune (Wednesday, Jan. 11), 9-1-1: Lone Star (Tuesday, Jan. 17), Next Level Chef (Sunday, Feb. 12) and Animal Control (Thursday, Feb. 16), joining Fall series making their Winter premieres, The Resident (Tuesday, Jan. 3), Hell's Kitchen (Thursday, Jan. 5), Welcome to Flatch (Thursday, Jan. 5) and Call Me Kat (Thursday, Jan. 5). As previously announced, all-new unscripted series Special Forces: World's Toughest Test will debut with a special two-hour event (Wednesday, Jan. 4), Alert will debut Sunday, Jan. 8 after NFL on Fox, and all-new crime thriller Accused will premiere Sunday, Jan. 22.

This winter, Fox beats the cold with a vacation to Fantasy Island, which returns for its second season on Monday, Jan. 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). The series stars Roselyn Sánchez, Kiara Barnes and John Gabriel Rodriquez. Guest stars in Season Two include Teri Hatcher and James Denton in a Desperate Housewives reunion, which also features Andy Richter (Conan); Rachael Harris (Lucifer) and Cheryl Hines (I Can See Your Voice); Frankie J. Alvarez (Looking), Jai Rodriguez (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Uncoupled) and Izzy Diaz (Broke); singer/actress Marie Osmond, Kyla Pratt (Call Me Kat), Lynn Whitfield (Greenleaf) and Jason Priestley (BH90210); and Alexa Mansour (The Walking Dead: World Beyond), who will recur. From executive producers Jamie Foxx and John Eisendrath, all-new missing persons drama Alert debuts Sunday, Jan. 8 after NFL on Fox (8:00-9:00 PM ET/5:00-6:00 PM PT live to all time zones), followed by its time period premiere Monday, Jan. 9 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

As previously announced, Fox's ultimate celebrity social experiment, Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, will make its series premiere, a two-hour special event, Wednesday, Jan. 4 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). The 16 celebrity recruits are Danny Amendola, Mel B, Hannah Brown, Tyler Florence, Kate Gosselin, Dwight Howard, Montell Jordan, Gus Kenworthy, Nastia Liukin, Carli Lloyd, Beverley Mitchell, Kenya Moore, Mike Piazza, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Anthony Scaramucci and Jamie Lynn Spears. Beloved one-hour musical game show Celebrity Name That Tune returns for Season Three on Wednesday, Jan. 11 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), followed by the time period premiere of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). Celebrity Name That Tune will feature competitions with Olympians, former WNBA, NBA and NFL athletes, WWE wrestlers, Emmy-nominated actors, Grammy nominated musicians, Broadway performers, former American Idol, and Glee stars as well as former Housewives, talk show hosts, comedians and more. Hit drama series 9-1-1: Lone Star, starring Rob Lowe and Gina Torres, is back for all-new rescues beginning Tuesday, Jan. 17 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). 9-1-1: As previously announced, the all-new crime thriller Accused, from Emmy Award-winning producer Howard Gordon, makes its debut Sunday, Jan. 22, followed by its time period premiere Tuesday, Jan. 24 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

Gordon Ramsay's Next Level Chef returns for Season Two on Sunday, Feb. 12, following Super Bowl LVII. The series will have its time period premiere Thursday, Feb. 16 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). The all-new single-camera workplace comedy, Animal Control, starring Emmy Award nominee Joel McHale (Community), will premiere Thursday, Feb. 16 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT), following the time period premiere of Next Level Chef. Please note, 9-1-1 and The Masked Singer will return this spring and additional schedule details to be announced. View the full Winter dates schedule.

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

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Labels: 9-1-1, Abbott Elementary, ABC, Animal Control, Fantasy Island, Fox, Grey's Anatomy, Home Economics, Jeopardy, Not Dead Yet, Shark Tank, Station 19, The Bachelor, The Conners, The Goldbergs, The Rookie

That '70s Show Cast to Reunite on That '90s Show; Teri Hatcher and James Denton Reunite Again

That '90s Show gets a '70s vibe with legacy cast making special guest appearances! Making appearances on the Netflix series are Topher Grace as Eric Forman, Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart, Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso, Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti and Wilmer Valderrama as Fez. They will join previously announced series regulars (and legacy cast members) and executive producers Kurtwood Smith (Red) and Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty). The new series regulars are Ashley Aufderheide, Callie Haverda, Mace Coronel, Maxwell Acee Donovan, Reyn Doi, and Sam Morelos. The multicam sitcom will have 10 episodes from showrunner Gregg Mettler. Executive Producers/Creators/Writers are Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner and Lindsey Turner, along with Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner under The Carsey-Werner Company.

In the revival sitcom... Hello, Wisconsin! It's 1995 and Leia Forman, daughter of Eric and Donna, is visiting her grandparents for the summer, where she bonds with a new generation of Point Place kids under the watchful eye of Kitty and the stern glare of Red. Sex, drugs and rock 'n roll never dies, it just changes clothes.

And in more reunion news... Teri Hatcher and James Denton are set to reunite (Desperate Housewives) again as they guest star on Fox's Fantasy Island in the upcoming season, in the third episode. Andy Richter to also guest star. The series is currently in production in Puerto Rico. Liz Craft and Sarah Fain are showrunners and executive producers. Anne Clements is also an executive producer. Fantasy Island is a co-production between Sony Pictures Television, Gemstone Studios and Fox Entertainment. Fantasy Island returns for its sophomore run on Tuesday, May 31 at 9 p.m ET/PT. The series stars Roselyn Sánchez, Kiara Barnes, John Gabriel Rodriquez. In Episode 203, empty nesters Dolly (Hatcher) and Dutch (Denton) seek clarity on how to spend their next chapter. Meanwhile, Helene (recurring Alexa Mansour) helps Ruby (Barnes) tap into her newfound youth. Javier (Rodriquez) opens up to Roarke (Sánchez) as he wrestles with his new role. Hatcher and Denton most recently reunited this past holiday season. James Denton was an executive producer and starred in the Hallmark Channel holiday movie, A Kiss Before Christmas, which reunited him with his Desperate Housewives co-star, Teri Hatcher, which was one of Hallmark's highest rated Christmas movies of 2021.

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

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Labels: Desperate Housewives, Fantasy Island, Fox, Hallmark Channel, Netflix, That '70s Show, That '90s Show

The Orville Returns for Season 3 After 3 Year Hiatus; Fox Announces More Stars for Fantasy Island Season 2

After three years off, Seth MacFarlane's epic space adventure series The Orville returns exclusively as a Hulu original series for its third season beginning Thursday, June 2 and now Hulu has released the new teaser artwork. The series last aired in 2019 on Fox. Set 400 years in the future, The Orville: New Horizons finds the crew of the U.S.S. Orville continuing their mission of exploration, as they navigate both the mysteries of the universe and the complexities of their own interpersonal relationships. The ensemble cast includes MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, J. Lee, Mark Jackson, Chad L. Coleman, Jessica Szohr and Anne Winters.

Alexa Mansour (The Walking Dead: World Beyond) is set to recur on Fox's Fantasy Island Season 2 making her debut in the second episode. Frankie J. Alvarez, Jai Rodriguez, and Izzy Diaz will guest star in the second episode. The series is currently in production in Puerto Rico. Liz Craft and Sarah Fain are co-showrunners and executive producers. Anne Clements is also an executive producer. Fantasy Island is a co-production between Sony Pictures Television, Gemstone Studios and FOX Entertainment. Fantasy Island returns for its sophomore run on Tuesday, May 31 at 9 p.m ET/PT. In Season 2, the transformations continue when two former high school losers come to the Island hoping to make their onetime classmates envious of their new lives. Also, three friends attempt to find out what happened to a fourth companion, who mysteriously vanished decades ago; and an empty-nester couple arrives to determine whether or not to divorce. The series stars Roselyn Sanchez, Kiara Barnes, John Gabriel Rodriquez.

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

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Labels: Fantasy Island, Fox, Hulu, The Orville

Reelz Announces May Premieres, Including Love Boat Special; Hulu Hockey Comedy Shoresy Premieres May 27

REELZ announced its May 2022 premieres with 14 new originals including the tragic passings of revered TV stars Ricardo Montalbán, Telly Savalas and James Garner. The new original special The Love Boat: Happily Ever After celebrates the charming TV series with its stars including Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Fred Grandy, Cynthia Lauren Tewes, Jill Whelan and Ted McGinley discussing how fast moving romance on a slow moving ship became must-see TV. The May 2022 lineup begins on Sunday, May 1 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT with The Love Boat: Happily Ever After about the unexpected smash hit show that captivated audiences of all ages and its hijinks on the high seas are just as appreciated now as they were four decades ago. Now in The Love Boat: Happily Ever After stars from the show including Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Fred Grandy, Cynthia Lauren Tewes, Jill Whelan and Ted McGinley share their experiences of its signature blend of romance, drama and laughs along with stories of filming at exotic ports of call and many guest stars who would later become big stars including Tom Hanks, Courteney Cox and Michael J. Fox. Also celebrated for its stellar guest stars and its own island-sized dose of escapism the TV series Fantasy Island showed viewers a unique resort island with an equally enigmatic host in Mr. Roarke played by Ricardo Montalbán. His onscreen charisma was bolstered by the physicality he brought to his roles and he was known to be a fit and healthy man so what happened to bring about his fatal catastrophic heart failure? On Sunday, May 1 at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT Autopsy: The Last Hours of... "Ricardo Montalbán" examines his life with a look at the health issues he faced and whether a childhood condition impacted his health later in life.

If he was a fictional character on the 1970s crime drama series Kojak Scarfo would no doubt have been a tough case for Lt. Theo Kojak. The charming detective with his famous bald head was known for fiercely going after criminals and was played brilliantly by Telly Savalas. On Sunday, May 15 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT Autopsy: The Last Hours of... "Telly Savalas" celebrates his storied career and investigates his final days including what caused the sudden decline in his health as he appeared to be leading a full and busy life just weeks before his passing. So what is the truth behind the death of TV's favorite detective? Also premiering on Sunday, May 15 is the story of another star who like Savalas exuded a signature magnetism on screen. Autopsy: The Last Hours of... "James Garner" at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT shows how he dazzled audiences for more than 50 years starting with his undeniable charm as the cheeky and reluctant hero on 1950s hit Maverick. As a stoic and private man Garner secretly battled with ill health for more than 30 years but what exactly caused his heart to fail and did a lapse in medical care ultimately seal his fate?

Tell your mom... Shoresy premieres May 27 on Hulu! Shot on location in Sudbury, the hockey comedy series Shoresy features bench boss Jared Keeso in the titular role, alongside a cast of certified beauticians and absolute legends - from sci-fi stars to real life big hitters. Tasya Teles (The 100) stars as Nat, with Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat (Tribal) as Sanguinet, Blair Lamora (Paranormal Nightshif t) as Ziigwan, and Keilani Rose (Flimsy) tapped as Miigwan. From, Blainville, QC, rapper Jonathan-Ismael Diaby stars as Dolo, with former Montral Canadien, author, and actor Terry Ryan as Hitch. Ryan McDonell (The Crossing) stars as Michaels, with Max Bouffard (Letterkenny) as JJ Frankie JJ, and former Kahnawake Condor and MMA fighter Andrew The Canon Antsanen joining the cast as Goody. Legendary all-time tough guy Jon Nasty Mirasty, former 'Canes centre Brandon Nolan, and three time Stanley Cup winner, Jordan Nolan star as Jim, Jim, and Jim, respectively, with Listowel's Keegan Long as Liam, and North Bay’s Bourke Cazabon as Cory.

The debut season of Shoresy guest stars Laurence Leboeuf (Transplant), Scott Thompson (Kids in the Hall), Jonathan Torrens (Trailer Park Boys), Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny), Camille Sullivan (Trigger Me"), Eliana Jones (Northern Rescue), Kim Cloutier (Letterkenny), Michala Brasseur (Grand Army, The Handmaid's Tale) as well as social media star and podcaster Lysandre Nadeau.

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

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Labels: Fantasy Island, Hulu, Kojak, ReelzChannel, Rockford Files, Shoresy, The Love Boat

Apple TV+ Season 2 Premiere Date for Physical; Fox Summer 2022 Schedule and May Finale Dates

Apple TV+ released a first-look at the sophomore season of Physical, the acclaimed dark comedy starring and executive produced by Rose Byrne. From creator, writer and executive producer Annie Weisman, the highly anticipated 10-episode second season will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, June 3 with the first episode, followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday. Season two finds our hero Sheila Rubin (Byrne) having successfully launched her first fitness video only to encounter some new and bigger obstacles on her path. She is torn between loyalty to her husband (Scovel) and the values he represents, and a dangerous attraction to someone else. And since she’s no longer the only game in town, she finds herself having to outrun some fierce new competitors on the road to building a full-fledged fitness empire.

In addition to Byrne, Physical stars Rory Scovel, Dierdre Friel, Della Saba, Lou Taylor Pucci and Paul Sparks. Joining the all-star ensemble cast for season two is Critics Choice Award-winner Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) in the new role of "Vincent 'Vinnie' Green," a charismatic fitness instructor, weight-loss guru, and pioneer of the late-night infomercial. Physical is produced by Tomorrow Studios (an ITV Studios partnership). Created, written and executive produced by Annie Weisman, who also serves as showrunner, Physical is directed by Stephanie Laing, who also serve as executive producer along with Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements for Tomorrow Studios, Alexandra Cunningham, John McNamara, Sera Gamble, Craig Gillespie and Byrne.

Fox is announcing premiere dates for So You Think You Can Dance (Wednesday, May 18 at 9pm), Don't Forget the Lyrics! (Monday, May 23 at 8pm), Beat Shazam (Monday, May 23 at 9pm), MasterChef (Wednesday, May 25 at 8pm), Lego Masters (Tuesday, May 31 at 8pm) and Fantasy Island (Tuesday, May 31 at 9pm). Additionally, animated comedy Duncanville returns with all-new episodes, beginning Sunday, May 1 at 7:30pm. Duncanville will move to 9pm beginning in June. Additional schedule details to be announced.

Fox also announced season finale dates for May/June. Season finale dates for the following programs are as follows: Call Me Kat (May 5), Domino Masters (May 11), 9-1-1 (May 16), 9-1-1: Lone Star (May 16), The Resident (May 17), The Masked Singer (May 18), The Simpsons (May 22), The Great North (May 22), Bob's Burgers (May 22), Family Guy (May 22), Name That Tune (May 24), Welcome to Flatch (May 26) and MasterChef Junior (June 23).

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

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Labels: 9-1-1, Apple TV+, Bob's Burgers, Call Me Kat, Duncanville, Family Guy, Fantasy Island, Fox, Physical, The Great North, The Simpsons, Welcome to Flatch

Fri-Yay: black-ish to Debut Final Season in January; Fox's Fantasy Island Gets Holiday Special and 2nd Season

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

This week, ABC announced the premiere date for the final season of black-ish. The hallmark ABC sitcom, which premiered in 2014, will be concluding its run after eight seasons, with the final season beginning on January 4. The show remained remarakbly consistent through its run, although the recent seasons aren't quite up to the standards set by the first few seasons, it remained a very funny and entertaining series nonetheless. It also helped revitalize the career of Anthony Anderson and had Tracee Ellis Ross's fame rise to new heights.

So what should we expect out of the final season of black-ish? It will be interesting to see if the show does just another regular season or attempts to give closure to its fans. Family sitcoms typically don't have any real overarching storylines to end, but it'll certainly be nice to see where Dre and Bow and the kids wind up. Either way, it'll be the end of an era when black-ish wraps up its run in the first half of 2022.

Fox has renewed aspirational series Fantasy Island for a second season. A modern comedy-drama series, from Sony Pictures Television, Gemstone Studios and FOX Entertainment, Fantasy Island takes place at a luxury resort, where literally any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although they rarely turn out as expected. Delving into the "what if" questions -- both big and small -- that keep us awake at night, each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who arrive with dreams and desires and depart enlightened and transformed through the magical realism of Fantasy Island. The series stars actress, singer and songwriter Roselyn Sanchez as ELENA ROARKE, a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke, who set aside her own ambitions, and the love of her life, to uphold her family's legacy. Sophisticated, insightful and always charming, Elena's calm exterior masks the challenges of the responsibilities she has assumed as steward of this mysterious island. Kiara Barnes also stars as RUBY AKUDA, a young woman with an old soul who arrived on Fantasy Island with a terminal illness and was given a new lease on life as Roarke's right hand.

But wait there's more! On Tuesday, Dec. 21 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT on Fox, Fantasy Island returns for a special two-hour holiday episode, "Welcome to the Snow Globe." A businesswoman's (guest star Lindsay Craft) fantasy of a perfect Christmas and meeting "Mr. Right" (guest star Eddie Cahill) tests Roarke in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, Mr. Jones (guest star Mackenzie Astin) faces his past, while a new Secret Santa tradition has Ruby and Javier looking to the future. If you like all the previous series, all seasons of the original 1977 Fantasy Island series and the 1998 remake are available to stream on Fox Entertainment's free-streaming platform, Tubi.

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

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Labels: ABC, black-ish, Fantasy Island, Fox, Fri-Yay

Melrose Place Reunion on Fox's New Fantasy Island; Tacoma FD Returns Sept. 16 on truTV

This summer, don't miss a special Melrose Place reunion on Fox's all-new Fantasy Island, when Laura Leighton, Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga guest star as friends whose island birthday bashes expose the fault lines in their friendships. This August, Fox travels to Fantasy Island, with an all-new version of the classic show. A modern drama series, Fantasy Island takes place at a luxury resort, where literally any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although they rarely turn out as expected. Delving into the "what if" questions -- both big and small -- that keep us awake at night, each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who arrive with dreams and desires and depart enlightened and transformed through the magical realism of Fantasy Island. Serving as steward of this mysterious island is Elena Roarke (Roselyn Sanchez, Devious Maids, Grand Hotel), a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke. Elena set aside her own ambitions, and even the love of her life, to uphold her family's legacy. Sophisticated, insightful and always charming, her calm exterior masks the challenges of the responsibilities she has assumed. Assisting Elena is Ruby Akuda (Kiara Barnes, The Bold and the Beautiful), a young woman with an old soul who arrives on Fantasy Island with a terminal illness and is given a new lease on life there; and pilot Javier (John Gabriel Rodriquez, Miranda's Rights, Rosewood), who also is the head of island transportation and a jack of all trades.

The all-new version of the classic show from Sony Pictures Television, Gemstone Studios and Fox Entertainment will premiere Tuesday, Aug. 10 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. But first don't miss the half-hout special Welcome to the New Fantasy Island, airing Sunday, Aug. 8 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox. Production is currently underway on location in Puerto Rico.

The third season of truTV's blazing-hot firefighter comedy Tacoma FD is set to premiere Thursday, September 16, 2021 on truTV. The scripted series returns with 13 episodes as the crew deals with all new shenanigans including quarantines, prank wars, upgrades to Station 24 and the Annual Pickleball Tournament. Tacoma FD, a Top 10 Comedy on ad-supported cable in 2020, is set in a firehouse in one of America's rainiest cities. These firefighters keep themselves entertained with creative competitions, friendly first responder rivalries and no shortage of bizarre emergency calls. Chief Terry McConky (Kevin Heffernan) and Captain Eddie Penisi (Steve Lemme) lead the firehouse antics and are joined by an eclectic crew played by Eugene Cordero (Andy), Marcus Henderson (Granny), Gabriel Hogan (Ike), and Hassie Harrison (Lucy).

Tacoma FD premieres Thursday, September 16, at 10pm ET. The new season will feature 13 episodes, with new episodes airing Thursdays at 10pm. Season 1 and 2 episodes are available for catch up and streaming on HBO Max.

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

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Labels: Fantasy Island, Fox, Melrose Place, Tacoma FD, truTV

ABC Summer 2021 Schedule; Fox Summer 2021 Schedule

ABC has announced its kick off a summer full of fun, thrills and romance with the lineup of star-studded unscripted programming. Three new series make their debut alongside 11 of the most popular and well-known titles on television. It all begins with the Luke Wilson-hosted Emergency Call, that dials in new episodes beginning Friday, June 4 at 8pm. Summer Sunday nights are synonymous with game shows, as ABC welcomes Celebrity Family Feud, The Chase and To Tell the Truth back on Sunday, June 6 from 8pm-11pm. These shows dominated 2020 ratings: During summer 2020, Celebrity Family Feud ranked as the No. 1 program in the Sunday 8 p.m. hour in Total Viewers; this past winter, The Chase ranked as the No. 1 program in the Thursday 9 p.m. hour in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49; and this season To Tell the Truth grew by 22% in Total Viewers to deliver its most-watched season since its debut in 2016.

Katie Thurston makes her entrance as The Bachelorette on Monday, June 7 from 8-10pm. This season, The Bachelorette is the No. 1 show on television among Women 18-34, and ranks among the season's Top 10 highest-rated entertainment shows in Adults 18-49. On Wednesday, June 9, ABC is doubling down on game shows with new episodes of Press Your Luck, The $100,000 Pyramid and Card Sharks from 8-11pm. The brand-new The Celebrity Dating Game, hosted by Zooey Deschanel and Michael Bolton, makes its "Summer Fun & Games" debut on Monday, June 14 at 10pm after The Bachelorette. Thursday nights will feature hilarity and hijinks with the premieres of brand-new comedic show When Nature Calls (working title), returning fan-favorite Holey Moley and newest mystery trivia show The Hustler on Thursday, June 17 from 8-11pm. Last year, Holey Moley was the No. 1 most co-viewed summer series on the broadcast networks. Later in the summer, Bachelor in Paradise makes its long-awaited return on Monday, Aug. 16 at 10pm. Postponed last season due to the pandemic, the series brings back sizzling summer nights for the first time in two years. Then, the all-new competition series The Ultimate Surfer makes its network debut at 10pm. ABC has not announced scheduling for Tuesday and Saturay nights, which will both likely be mix of encores. Stay tuned for more details.

More summer schedule news! Fox has also announced most of its summer plans. Fox keeps things cooking this summer with four nights of original entertainment programming, announcing summer premiere dates for Mental Samurai (Tuesday, May 25), Crime Scene Kitchen (Wednesday, May 26), Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns (Monday, May 31), Lego(R) Masters (Tuesday, June 1), MasterChef: Legends (Wednesday, June 2) and Beat Shazam (Thursday, June 3). The series join the lineup alongside the previously announced series premiere of animated comedy Housebroken and the second season time-period premiere of Duncanville (Monday, May 31). Also, a modern take on the classic drama Fantasy Island will premiere this August. Additional details to be announced.

Mental Samurai, hosted by Rob Lowe (9-1-1: Lone Star), will have a special two-hour Season Two premiere on Tuesday, May 25 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT, before making its time-period premiere on Tuesday, June 1 from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. As previously announced, Crime Scene Kitchen, an all-new baking competition series with a unique twist, premieres Wednesday, May 26 from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT following The Masked Singer finale. Hosted by actor and comedian Joel McHale, Crime Scene Kitchen is a culinary guessing game in which bakers are tasked with decoding what type of dessert was made, when all that's left are the crumbs, flour trails and a few elusive clues. They must then recreate the recipe for celebrity judges, chef Curtis Stone and cake artist Yolanda Gampp, who will determine how closely their sweet treat matches the missing dessert - and how good it tastes! On Monday, May 31 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), hit culinary competition Hell's Kitchen returns for its landmark 20th season, Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns, as Chef Gordon Ramsay is back in Las Vegas, home to five of Ramsay's restaurants, including the world's first Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen restaurant at Caesars Palace. For the first time ever, 18 aspiring chefs from across the country and all aged 23 years old or younger at the start of the competition will challenge Lady Luck in the hopes of winning big.

As previously announced, Animation Domination expands to Mondays, beginning Monday, May 31, with the series premiere of animated comedy Housebroken (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT), featuring the voices of Lisa Kudrow, Tony Hale, Will Forte, Sam Richardson and Clea DuVall, and the Season Two time-period premiere of animated comedy Duncanvile (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT), featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Ty Burrell, Rashida Jones and Wiz Khalifa. The Season Two premiere of Duncanvile returns with a special two-episode debut on Sunday, May 23 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT and 9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT). Hosted by actor and producer Will Arnett, Season Two of Lego(R) Masters premieres Tuesday, June 1 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), bringing imagination, design and creativity to life when teams of LEGO enthusiasts go head-to-head, with infinite possibilities and an unlimited supply of LEGO bricks. MasterChef enters its 11th season on Wednesday, June 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) with MasterChef: Legends, featuring award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay, acclaimed chef Aarón Sánchez and renowned restaurateur Joe Bastianich, who have invited the most respected, iconic culinary legends, including Emeril Lagasse, Paula Deen, Roy Choi, Nancy Silverton and Morimoto to raise the "steaks" of the competition for the most intense season in MasterChef history. Beat Shazam, hosted by award-winning actor, singer and comedian Jamie Foxx, will have its fourth season premiere on Thursday, June 3 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). This August, Fox travels to Fantasy Island, with an all-new version of the classic show. From Liz Craft and Sarah Fain (The 100, The Shield, Lie to Me), Fantasy Island takes place at a luxury resort, where literally any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although they rarely turn out as expected. Delving into the "what if" questions -- both big and small -- that keep us awake at night, each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who arrive with dreams and desires and depart enlightened and transformed through the magical realism of Fantasy Island. Additional schedule details to be announced.

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

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Labels: $100000 Pyramid, ABC, Card Sharks, Duncanville, Family Feud, Fantasy Island, Fox, Housebroken, Press Your Luck, The Chase, The Hustler, To Tell the Truth

COZI TV's Annual Holidozi Marathon; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Moves to Netflix With 2 Season Order

'Tis the season! On Friday, November 28 COZI TV kicks off COZI Holidozi, a month-long celebration featuring an array of holiday-themed episodes of COZI TV's iconic shows such as Hart to Hart, Starsky & Hutch, Knight Rider, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Avengers. Programming will also include heartwarming holiday films like Scrooge (1935), Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn (1942) starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and A Christmas Wish (1950) featuring Jimmy Durante. For an extra holiday treat, COZI TV is bringing viewers a special Fantasy and Fairy Dust line-up of programming leading up to NBC's Peter Pan Live! special on Thursday, December 4. Starting on Monday, December 1, COZI TV will broadcast a three-night mini-marathon of Fantasy Island from 8 to 11 PM ET. Viewers should check their local listings for air dates and times.

Netflix, the world's leading Internet TV network, has picked up two seasons and will be the exclusive home to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the new comedy series from Universal Television from co-creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. The series stars Ellie Kemper (The Office) as a woman who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York. The 13-episode first season was originally slated to premiere on NBC and instead will now launch exclusively across all Netflix territories in March 2015. After living in a cult for fifteen years, Kimmy decides to reclaim her life and start over in New York City. Armed with just a backpack, light-up sneakers, and a couple of way-past-due library books, she's ready to take on a world she didn't even think existed anymore. Wide-eyed but resilient, nothing is going to stand in her way. She quickly finds a new job (working for 30 Rock's Jane Krakowski), a new roommate (Tituss Burgess, 30 Rock), and a new beginning. The cast also includes Lauren Adams, Sara Chase, Sol Miranda and Emmy winner Carol Kane (Taxi, The Princess Bride).

The series was created by Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Robert Carlock (30 Rock), who serve as executive producers with Jeff Richmond (30 Rock), Jack Burditt (30 Rock, The Mindy Project) and David Miner (30 Rock, Brooklyn Nine-Nine).

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

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Labels: Cozi TV, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart, Knight Rider, NBC, Netflix, Starsky & Hutch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

COZI TV Goes One Step Beyond on Halloween; FX Unveils Simpsons World

On Halloween Day, don't go outside! COZI TV's One Step Beyond Terrorcast, a scare-a-thon of the classic anthology series, starts at 7AM ET and runs "way past your bedtime." Tune in for these chilling episodes with supernatural themes such as the existence of ghosts, astral projections, and wildly improbable coincidences. Later that evening, COZI TV takes a brief break from One Step Beyond to enjoy a double feature scare with Universal Picture's iconic horror films, Dracula and The Bride of Frankenstein at 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM ET. COZI TV's Halloween marathon is just the start of their plans for the holiday season, as more stunts to come in November and December. Stunts will include a "Revenge of the Sequels" movie marathon in November, a Fantasy Island primetime 3 night marathon in December, and of course it won't be Christmas without a holiday episodes marathon, as we get a "COZI Holidozi" Christmas episodes marathon of your fave COZI TV series! Stay tuned for more info as we get closer to the stunts!

FX Networks will unveil "Simpsons World," a new immersive, interactive digital and online experience centered on the legendary Emmy(R) Award winning animated television series The Simpsons, today, October 21. Offering a unique experience for both casual and super fans, "Simpsons World" will provide authenticated users with the most user-friendly, comprehensive hub for all things Simpsons. It will include a deep catalog of clips, fun facts and, for the first time ever, instant and on-demand access to every single Simpsons episode - all 552 episodes (25 Seasons) - and each new episode from the current 26th season will be available for viewing the day after its original broadcast on FOX. The tailored Simpsons experience will be available via SimpsonsWorld.com, as well as the FXNOW app for iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, Xbox One, Xbox 360, AppleTV, and Samsung Smart TVs.

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

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Labels: Cozi TV, Fantasy Island, FX, The Simpsons

FamilyNet Fall 2014 Schedule with Sony TV Classics; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 1, 2014)

FamilyNet's Fall 2014 schedule is in! They have announced a five-year agreement with Sony Pictures Television, which now has a minority stake with the network. Effective Monday (Sept. 1), the entire line-up will be classic TV shows from the Sony library. The weekday line-up begins with laughs with back-to-back episodes of I Dream of Jeannie at 8am, followed by two episodes of Bewitched at 9. Then from 10am-2pm, it's classic Sony dramas with TJ Hooker, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels, and Fantasy Island in 70s/80s action. The late afternoon block will feature more sitcoms, this time from the '70s and also urban sitcoms, starting at 2pm with an episode each of All in the Family, Barney Miller, Malcolm & Eddie, followed by two episodes of Good Times and an episode of What's Happening Now!! at 4:30pm. And if you miss all of that from 8am-5pm, they will do it all over again from 5pm-2am. Paid programming will close the night out from 2am-8am.

With the addition of all of these shows, current series Highway to Heaven and The Beverly Hillbillies will be leaving the schedule. Moving on to weekends, there will be a few more series! Saturdays from 7am-2pm will feature series, starting with the short-lived Michael Strahan sitcom Brothers from 7-8am, followed by a two-hour The Monkees block from 8-10am, an hour each of I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched and then an episode each of dramas Charlie's Angels and Fantasy Island. Sony movies will air at 2pm & 4pm, leading into an evening block of sitcoms with All in the Family and Barney Miller from 6-8pm. Movies return in primetime from 8pm-12am into late night sitcoms Good Times and Brothers from 12-2am. And finally on Sundays, Brothers will air from 7-8am into religious programming from 8am-2pm. The afternoon movies will air at 2 and 4pm on Sunday, too. The Sunday early evening block will feature TJ Hooker and Charlie's Angels at 5 & 7pm, leading into movies in primetime from 8pm-12am. Urban sitcoms Malcolm & Eddie and Good Times round out Sunday night from 12-2am. This is excellent news for us sitcom fans...keep it right here for continued updates on FamilyNet's line-up!


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 Sept. 1-5, 2014, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!


Monday, September 1, 2014

• Jennifer Aniston (Friends) - Watch Jennifer on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. There's a Friends reunion with Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) - Joseph is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Derek Waters (Married to the Kellys) - Derek appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Judy Greer (Mad Love/Arrested Development/Miss Guided) - Tune in to see Judy on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Kym Whitley (Young & Hungry/Animal Practice/Sparks) - Kym is a guest on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) - Yvette guest co-hosts a repeat of ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Drew is a guest on a repeat of @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Patricia Heaton (The Middle/Back to You/Everybody Loves Raymond - Patricia sells a treasure from The Middle on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Debi Mazar (Entourage/Working) - Debi and her husband, Gabriele Corcos, share their passion for Tuscan food and each other on a repeat of Katie, so check your local listings.
• Jane Leeves (Hot in Cleveland/Frasier/Throb) - Jane appears on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

• Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Catch Allison on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• David Koechner (The Office/Hank) - David stops by @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• George Lopez (Saint George/George Lopez) - George appears on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Albert Tsai (Trophy Wife) - Albert is a guest on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Seth Green (Dads/Greg the Bunny) - Seth talks about his new film The Identical on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Marlon Wayans (The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon appears on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
• Brooklyn Decker (Friends with Better Lives) - Tune in to see Brooklyn on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
• Keke Palmer (True Jackson, VP) - Keke is a guest on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

• Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Watch Terry on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Tony Hale (Veep/Arrested Development) - Tony is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• J.B. Smoove (The Millers/Curb Your Enthusiasm/'Til Death) - J.B. appears on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Jay Thomas (Cheers/Love & War/Murphy Brown) - Jay is a guest on a repeat of The Better Show, so check your local listings.
• Allison Williams (Girls) - NBC's Today goes behind the scenes of Peter Pan with Allison Williams in the 10am hour.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

• Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Catch Larry on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Sarah visits Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray appears on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Chris D'Elia (Undateable/Whitney) and Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Chris and Whitney are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Patrick Duffy (Step by Step/Welcome to Sweden) - Patrick chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Leah Remini (The King of Queens/Family Tools) - Leah appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Kirstie Alley (Kirstie/Veronica's Closet/Cheers) - Kirstie throws down a figure-friendly chicken dinner and gives the inside scoop on her weight-loss journey on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• George Lopez (Saint George/George Lopez) - George is a guest on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
• Judy Greer (Married/Arrested Development/Miss Guided and Nat Faxon (Married/Ben & Kate) - Judy and Nat are guests on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• The Cast of The League - Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, Steve Rannazzisi and Jon LaJoie will be on SI Now at 1pm.

Friday, September 5, 2014

• Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Watch Tina on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Seth Green (Dads/Family Guy/Greg the Bunny) - Seth visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - Jennifer chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Juliette Lewis (I Married Dora) - Juliette is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings. She will also be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Joely Fisher (Ellen/'Til Death) - Joely appears on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Amanda Fuller (Last Man Standing) - Amanda talks about Lifetime's The Brittany Murphy Story on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. 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: All in the Family, Barney Miller, Bewitched, Brothers, Charlie's Angels, FamilyNet, Fantasy Island, Good Times, I Dream of Jeannie, Malcolm and Eddie, Starsky & Hutch, Talk Shows, What's Happening Now

Fantasy Island Begins Dec. 8 with Marathon on Cozi TV; TV Guide Magazine's 2013 Fan Favorites Cover Poll

Back in early September we mentioned that Cozi TV has acquired Fantasy Island, Starsky & Hutch and Hart to Hart - all from Sony Pictures Television. Now we have details on one of them. Fantasy Island will begin with a five-hour marathon on Sunday, December 8, 2013. The series will then air regularly on the Cozi TV line-up beginning in January (2014). The network will likely be adding more series in January as well, so stay tuned! Perhaps Starsky & Hutch or Hart to Hart will also join the line-up in January, but for sure they are coming sometime in 2014. Cozi TV will continue to bring in NBC Universal-owned series to its schedule, along with these Sony Pictures Television series and other libraries. We will reveal any upcoming acquisitions when they announce them! Hopefully a sitcom or two will pop up in the next year or two?

Airing from 1978 to 1984, Fantasy Island was a hit TV series on ABC starring Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke, the overseer of a mysterious island located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, where people from all walks of life came to live out their fantasies. Mr. Roarke's energetic sidekick Tattoo, played by Hervé Villechaize, opened each episode by ringing a bell and famously shouting, "The plane! The plane!" to welcome new guests to the island. Stay with us for continued updates on the Dec. 8 marathon and when it will air regularly on Cozi TV in January.


TV Guide Magazine opened voting for their fourth annual "Fan Favorites" cover poll. The poll lets fans choose the cover of the magazine, which will then hit stands in early December. The voting started on October 7 and will run through October 28 and is conducted via TV Guide Magazine's official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TVGuideMagazine. Past winners of the competition are Doctor Who, Supernatural and Community.

The 2013 "Fan Favorites" nominees are:
Arrow (The CW)
Downton Abbey (PBS)
Duck Dynasty (A&E)
Grimm (NBC)
Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
Orphan Black (BBC America)
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
Scandal (ABC)
Teen Wolf (MTV)
The Vampire Diaries (The CW)


This year, TV Guide Magazine introduces mobile voting via a new Facebook app. Voters will also have the opportunity to post a message to their Facebook community, announcing their vote and encouraging others to vote as well. As in years past, fans can votes as often as they want. TV Guide Magazine's "Fan Favorites" competition is officially on!

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

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Labels: Cozi TV, Fantasy Island, Pretty Little Liars, Scandal, TV Guide

COZI TV Fall 2013 Adds Starsky & Hutch, Hart to Hart, Fantasy Island; Dancing with the Stars Season 17 Cast Filled with Sitcom Stars

COZI TV, the network designed to deliver an easy-to-watch, comfortable and familiar viewing experience to audiences nationwide, announced it will add a host of new movies and TV shows to its lineup in the coming months, including classic favorites Fantasy Island, Starsky & Hutch and Hart to Hart - all from Sony Pictures Television. Additionally, COZI TV renewed Sony's Charlie's Angels and will add dozens of new movies to its rotation, including Gidget, The Graduate, Tootsie and The Big Chill. We don't have a schedule just yet for COZI TV Fall 2013, but you can expect these shows to be added in the coming months.

Airing from 1978 to 1984, Fantasy Island was a hit TV series on ABC starring Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke, the overseer of a mysterious island located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, where people from all walks of life came to live out their fantasies. Mr. Roarke's energetic sidekick Tattoo, played by Hervé Villechaize, opened each episode by ringing a bell and famously shouting, "The plane! The plane!" to welcome new guests to the island. COZI TV will take viewers to the crime ridden streets of fictional Bay City, California in the 1970s cop thriller ABC television series, Starsky & Hutch. Paul Michael Glaser starred as dark-haired, street-smart David Starsky alongside his blond, intellectual partner, Kenneth 'Hutch' Hutchinson, played by David Soul. Together, the duo patrolled Bay City in the infamous Striped Tomato, Starsky's two-door Ford Gran Torino, catching fugitives and fighting injustice. And finally, Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers played Jonathan and Jennifer Hart in the popular ABC '80s series Hart to Hart, which ran from 1979 to 1984. Mr. Hart, a self-made millionaire and CEO of Hart Industries, and his wife, a freelance journalist, lived a glamorous lifestyle while spending their free time moonlighting as amateur detectives. In every episode, the couple found themselves involved in cases of smuggling, theft, international espionage or murder. Stay with us for any further updates on these new additions to COZI TV. They will join the likes of Charlie's Angels, Six Million Dollar Man, Magnum P.I., The Bionic Woman, Marcus Welby M.D., The Lone Ranger, The Virginian, Highway to Heaven, I Spy and The Roy Rogers Show. Since the network's official launch at the beginning of this year, COZI TV has grown significantly and is now available in 47.5 million homes or 42 percent of the country, reaching 40 markets, including those served by the ten NBC-owned stations.

The new Dancing with the Stars cast was announced and it is filled with many sitcom and TV stars! Stars from sitcoms including Rhoda, Saved by the Bell, The King of Queens, The Bill Engvall Show, and other TV hits like Pretty Little Liars and Glee. This season's dynamic lineup of stars -- including a sitcom legend, a reality mega-star, a football champion and a pop music sensation - will perform for the first time on live national television with their professional partners during the two-hour season premiere of Dancing with the Stars, Monday, September 16, 2013 from (8:00-10:01pm, ET on ABC. Dancing with the Stars returns for Season 17 and shakes things up by transitioning to a one night, two-hour format. The one-night extravaganza will feature competitive dance, dynamic group performances and musical guests, all building to a climactic elimination. Each week viewers can vote for their favorite dancing performance. Beginning with the second episode on Monday, September 23, one couple will be eliminated at the end of the show by combining the judges' scores from that night with the public votes from the previous week.

As announced yesterday morning on ABC's Good Morning America by Dancing with the Stars hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet, the 12 celebrities with their professional partners heading to the dance floor this season (in alphabetical order) are:

• Elizabeth Berkley Lauren (Saved by the Bell, CSI: Miami) and partner Val Chmerkovskiy
• Corbin Bleu (High School Musical) and partner Karina Smirnoff
• Brant Daugherty (Pretty Little Liars, Army Wives) and partner Peta Murgatroyd
• Bill Engvall (The Bill Engvall Show) and partner Emma Slater
• Valerie Harper (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Valerie) and partner Tristan MacManus
• Keyshawn Johnson (NFL) and partner Sharna Burgess
• Christina Milian (singer, Bring It On: Fight to the Finish) and partner Mark Ballas
• Bill Nye (Bill Nye the Science Guy) and partner Tyne Stecklein
• Jack Osbourne (The Osbournes) and partner Cheryl Burke
• Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi (Jersey Shore) and partner Sasha Farber
• Leah Remini (The King of Queens, Family Tools) and partner Tony Dovolani
• Amber Riley (Glee) and partner Derek Hough

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

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Labels: ABC, Charlie's Angels, Cozi TV, Dancing with the Stars, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart, King of Queens, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Pretty Little Liars, Rhoda, Saved by the Bell, Starsky & Hutch, The Bill Engvall Show

Digital Digest: Perry Mason Moving Closer to Completion on DVD; Fantasy Island - The Complete Third Season DVD Review, Happiness Is Peanuts - Go Snoopy Go! DVD Review

DIGITAL NEWS

It seems like it was only yesterday that CBS released Perry Mason - Season 7, Volume 2 (well really it was four days ago), and we're just a little over a month away from the beginning of the eighth season with Perry Mason - Season 8, Volume 1. You'd think that would be all of the upcoming releases, but that is incorrect, because yet another release is on the way for January 15 with Perry Mason - Season 8, Volume 2! This will only leave the two releases for season nine unreleased, and it is probably a safe bet to say that we'll see those sometime in 2012.

I Love Lucy is something that seems to be "said and done" on DVD, but about two weeks ago, we found out that wasn't exactly the case as CBS re-released most of the seasons (with the remaining ones coming next month, although technically Target is offering every season right now as a Target exclusive) in new packaging. For the most part, these re-releases come in packages with new "cartoon" artwork, a standard Viva case, and the disc artwork is replaced with the CBS "series logo on a gray background" standard... in other words, they are more like the other releases that CBS has out there. But it is worth noting one release in particular, and that is I Love Lucy - The Complete First Season. When CBS released this set, TV on DVD was just beginning, so this ended up being a rather large set, but the big problem was that the episodes had not been remastered as the episodes were for the remaining seasons. These issues were rectified with I Love Lucy - The Complete Series, but there wasn't any way of getting just the "better" season one release by itself... but now, with this re-release, we can happily report that all issues have been fixed to match the other releases.
Last week, VEI supposedly released Cagney & Lacey - The Complete Series on DVD... but we have to put emphasis on supposedly. While we don't exactly know what is going on, it appears that there is some sort of delay keeping it out of the hands of fans for now. We can't find any website actually shipping the set (US or Canada), and a post on the official series blog seems to indicate uncertainty even from the series producer as to when fans will actually be able to order the limited edition release. We don't doubt that this set is on the way... after all, it is really pretty rare for a VEI release to actually show up on the anticipated release date... but we don't think it is available just yet, and we'll let you know when it actually is available.

On a related note, McMillan & Wife - The Complete Series was slated for a release by VEI this coming Tuesday. That release has similarly been delayed until November (and, for all we know, this date may not be final either). We'll let you know more when we know more.

UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (October 23) has several releases, but only two sitcoms. First, we have Happy Endings - The Complete Second Season (our review). Lionsgate wraps up the final episodes of a TBS sitcom with Meet the Browns - Season 7. Shout! Factory moves forward with Fantasy Island in Fantasy Island - The Complete Third Season. We have a review of this set today in Digital Digest. CBS has two releases, with The Fugitive - Most Wanted Edition (The Complete Series) and Perry Mason - Season 7, Volume 2. You can see our Perry Mason review in last week's Digital Digest. Finally, TGG has In the Heat of the Night - 24 Hour Marathon Collection, consisting of 32 episodes of the classic crime drama.

BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

DVD Review: Fantasy Island - The Complete Third Season (Shout!, $39.97)
by skees53

Smiles, everyone, smiles! Fantasy Island returns to DVD with 23 more episodes from the third season. The classic ABC series follows Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalbán) and his sidekick Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize) as they fulfill the fantasies of everybody who comes to the island (oh, and many of them just so happen to be well-known TV stars from other series) for a price... and shows them that they must be careful what they wish for.
 

As in the past, we can't describe every plot in every episode, since there are simply too many (two per episode), and some of them really aren't that great. But we'll go through a few of them here, and we'll list some (of the many) guest stars with the runtimes.

A man sees a hit man eliminating him as the way for his family to get rich off of his insurance in "Hit Man." Tattoo has a fantasy that is too much for him to handle in "Tattoo: The Love God." Tattoo decides to adopt a baby boy in "Baby." In "The Boss," a woman's struggle for power puts her on the top where she'd like to be, but it won't be a smooth ride. A 50-year-old woman wants young romance in her life in "Young at Heart." In "The Wedding," Mr. Roarke's fantasy is shattered when his bride-to-be has an untimely death. An overweight woman wants to get thin for revenge in "Class of '69." A man wants to spend the weekend with a movie star in "Marooned," but his fantasy is not at all like the reality.

A widow wants to visit her dead husband in "On the Other Side." In "Winemaker," a nun wants to win a wine tasting contest, but Tattoo has tasted it and he isn't pleased. In "Stark Terror," a traumatized girl wants to relive the night of her mother's murder. A young woman wants to look into the future in "Terrors of the Mind," but it isn't a very nice picture. Two women have a fantasy that puts them back into the stone age in "One Million B.C." In "The Eagleman," a father wants to win his son's respect by becoming the comic book hero his son worships.

 

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

Disc 1:
1. "The Swimmer/The Hit Man" (48:16) - Gail Fisher, Peter Graves, Eve Plumb, David Doyle, Kaye Ballard, Eddie Mekka
2. "Stuntman/Goose for the Gander" (48:20) - Grant Goodeve, Abe Vigoda, Doris Roberts, Vito Scotti
3. "Tattoo: The Love God/Magnolia Blossoms" (47:52) - Lisa Hartman
4.  "Marathon/Baby" (48:34) - Dick Martin, Paul Peterson

Disc 2:
5. "The Boss/The Chain Gang" (48:38) - Roddy McDowell, Donna Milles
6. "The Red Baron/Young at Heart" (48:58) - Don Adams, Diana Canova, Dave Madden
7. "The Wedding" (48:20) - Joseph Cotten
8. "The Handyman/Tattoo's Romance" (49:14) - Sonny Bono, Shelley Fabares, Carolyn Jones

Disc 3:
9. "Nobody's There/The Dancer" (49:18) - Max Baer Jr., Stepfanie Kramer, Dick Sargent, Howard Morton
10. "The Class of '69/The Pug" (49:18) - Gary Collins, Fred Grandy, Sugar Ray Robinson
11. "The Victim/The Mermaid" (49:17) - Yvonne De Carlo, Mary Ann Mobley
12. "The Cheerleaders/Marooned" (48:09) - Georgia Engel, Vic Tayback

Disc 4:
13. "The Inventor/On The Other Side" (49:16) - Marcia Wallace, John Laroquette
14. "Lookalikes/The Winemaker" (49:10) - Ken Berry
15. "Unholy Wedlock/Elizabeth" (49:19) - David Cassidy, Eddie Mekka, Tina Louise
16. "Stark Terror/Rogues and Riches"(49:16) - Michael Constantine, Elinor Donahue, Alan Hale Jr., Gunilla Hutton

Disc 5:
17. "Playgirl/Smith's Valhalla" (49:11) - Fabian, Leslie Nielsen
18. "Aphrodite/Dr. Jekyll and Miss Hyde" (49:08) - George Maharis, Belinda Montgomery, Maureen McCormick
19. "The Swinger/Terrors of the Mind" (49:14) - Anne Francis, Frankie Avalon, Lisa Hartman
20. "Nona/One Million B.C." (49:13) - Edd Byrnes, Phyllis Davis, Peter Graves, Joann Pflug

Disc 6:
21. "Mary Ann and Miss Sophisticate/Jungle Man" (49:11) - Dick Butkus, Annette Funicello
22. "My Fair Pharaoh/The Power" (49:17) - Joan Collins, Ron Ely
23. "Engleman/The Children of Mentu" (48:54) - Jim Backus, Bob Denver, Larry Storch

The set comes packaged in a Viva case. The cover has a photo of Mr. Roarke and Tattoo with the island in the background. On the back, there are several episode snapshots, a description of the series, and a list of some of the more well-known guest stars. Inside the case, you'll find a list of episodes, but instead of episode descriptions, there is a list of guest stars by episode... but these lists aren't really that great, because they seem to randomly list guest stars and miss some of the bigger names in the episodes. The set contains six discs, each which has artwork identical to the cover art.

The menus are pretty much the same as the previous release. The main menu has a photo of Mr. Roarke and Tattoo (same one from the cover art), and video clips from the episodes on the disc play in the right-hand corner of the screen. The theme song plays in the background. Options on the main menu include Play All and Episodes. Once you select Play Episodes, you get a listing of the episodes while some transitional music plays in the background. Each episode contains chapters placed at each commercial break.

The episodes on the set generally look and sound good. There are some defects, such as debris and low audio levels, but none of it is anything to really be worried about. Honestly, the episodes look better than one would expect. Each episode is closed-captioned.

Like the second season, there are no special features on this set once again.

Once again, Shout! has put together a great set for this series, and I'm hoping that we'll see more of this series from them in the future. Sony seems to be releasing this series too as MOD releases, but they are running behind Shout! (at least for now), and pressed DVDs are definitely preferable to MOD releases. I have a feeling we'll never see any special features on these releases, which is a shame, but at least we are getting the episodes in an unedited and high quality form. This DVD set truly is a fantasy come true... but without the consequences!

(4/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main Reviews Page
Fantasy Island TV.com Page


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

DVD Review: Happiness Is...Peanuts - Go Snoopy Go! (Warner, $14.97)
by Pavan

America's favorite pastime only gets better when Peanuts hits the field in the TV special It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown. Baseball season's first game is coming up, but Charlie Brown's team doesn't even have uniforms. Can their new player, little Leland, help them reach a big victory? Then, the antics continue in five adventures from The Charlie Brown & Snoopy Show. Snoopy swoops in on the gang when he thinks he's a winged predator in "Vulture," Linus tries to break a habit in Blanket, school means trouble for "Peppermint Patty," the back of a bicycle is the road to excitement in "Rerun" and Charlie Brown tries to rouse spirits in "Rainy Day." Bring home the latest Peanuts DVD collection as there's no stopping the fun when Snoopy is on the go!

It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown is from 1992 and the 35th primetime special that Peanuts had. It never aired on CBS in 1992 though for some reason, so it was not released until 1996 when it made it on home video. It is a perfect time to bring it to DVD for the very first time as the MLB Playoffs are going on. That's better than spring training, Charlie Brown! On this set we also have an episode from the 1983-85 series The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. It is episode #13 and titled "It's that Team Spirit, Charlie Brown" and we get four short episodes in this episode.

Let's take a look at the runtimes and number of chapter stops for each special:

1. It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown (23:02, 5 chapters)
2. The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show Episode #13 (22:27, 6 chapters)

Let's now move on to the packaging. It's the same as all the previous sets like these. We get a very thin keep case, that is movie style. The cover art is in blue and has a artwork of Snoopy tipping his red cap as Woodstock is above the cap. The title of the set is on top and we have different Peanuts characters in the blue background. The bottom has a Snoopy Peanuts logo. To the back we go, we get a nice shot of Charlie Brown running with Snoopy & Woodstock. The back also has details on the two specials. When we open the case, there is no artwork inside, so it is just plain black, like usual. We have an insert for a coupon for a jar of Peanut Butter & Co. Save $1! The disc is on the right panel and is in a grey color with blue shading. It has artwork of Snoopy about to jump in a tub with Woodstock.

The menu screen has options of Features, Trailers, and Languages. We get that blue background again along with the same artwork style as the cover art, with the theme song playing in the background. For Languages, we have options for English, Chinese, Espanol, Portuguese, and Thai. For subtitles we have English, French, Chinese, Espanol, Portuguese, and Thai. The Features section have the two specials listed by title, we can also select Play All to play them consecutively. Finally, Trailers has previews of Peanuts Holiday Collection, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Peanuts Halloween/Elected. There is also an auto-trailers before the main menu for Tom & Jerry sets.

The video and audio is good. These aren't new specials really, but they look good. All of these specials are all so good ever since they started the Remastered Collection sets. However, I don't see that wording on this set for some reason. So maybe it isn't? Still, I am very impressed yet again. Warner continues to do a great job on this remastering of all these classic specials. Even though The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show episode isn't a special, the It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown is. That special looks much better than the former on here. It is newer, but that doesn't mean anything as the '60s/'70s specials even looked better. And also the main thing is that all of the specials are unedited! These sets are must buys for the video quality alone, as it is a major improvement over the VHS versions or anything you taped from TV in the last two decades.

As for special features, we get nothing here at all. That is a disappointment since we usually get at least one featurette on a set.

I once again highly do recommend this set for any Charlie Brown-Peanuts fan and classic animation in general. Continue your collection, because we get another special that we never had on DVD before and we even get an episode of the The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. I wonder when that series will be released completely, as episodes only get released on these Happiness Is...Peanuts DVDs. 5 of the 18 episodes have come out that way. And let's hope they continue to release more Peanuts specials and eventually we get them all remastered in our personal libraries! It's runaway fun with Peanuts

(4/5 stars)

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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Charlie Brown TV.com Page


FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Christine Lakin (Twitter), "Dude! Remember Al from Step By Step? Well, you stumbled on her Twitter. That sounds dirty!"
Claim to Fame: Child actress who played Alicia "Al" Lambert from the '90s sitcom Step By Step, has gone on to find success and adult actress, and (no doubt) a friend of our website!
Why You Should Follow Her: We've talked about Christine Lakin a lot here, and we've even interviewed her on this blog... twice, in fact! While many young actresses leave the entertainment business for different reasons as they get older (some are unable to find work, and others just want to go back to being an "ordinary person"), Lakin didn't throw in the towel, and has found success as an adult. Currently, among other gigs, she voices Channel 5 anchorwoman Joyce Kinney on Family Guy and has her own web series Lovin' Lakin on Hulu. On Twitter, she talks about virtually everything going on in her life, and believe it or not, part of her "life" doesn't exclude her former Step by Step co-stars. And above all else, she is clearly one of the few actresses out there who just seems to want to enjoy life.
Pick of the Tweets: "Snoop Dogg has found religion and is now Snoop Lion. First 100 patrons at church on Sunday get free blunts. " (August 2, 2012)

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: Blog DVD Reviews, Digital Digest, Fantasy Island, Peanuts

Digital Digest: Shout! Acquires Timeless Media Group; Fantasy Island - The Complete Second Season DVD Review

Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got all of your regular features, including a review of Fantasy Island - The Complete Second Season. Let's get started!

DIGITAL NEWS

Mergers have been happening everywhere in the home media business lately, and this week, Shout! Factory has announced a merger of their own with Timeless Media Group. According to Variety, Shout! Factory has purchased the smaller distributor, known primarily for their releases of classic western series acquired from NBCUniversal (although they have released other series as well). TMG will remain, at least for the foreseeable future, a separate entity from Shout! Factory and will continue to operate out of Oregon, but this acquisition opens the door for both distributors to better market the TMG releases and perhaps improve the quality of some of the TMG releases. Honestly, there may be a lot of good to come out of this deal, as it demonstrates Shout! Factory has an ongoing commitment to release television series. We'll let you know what does come of it!

Sony announced a MOD offering this week which should give fans of virtually any series hope that their favorite series will indeed make it to DVD, with their announcement of Charlie's Angels (2011) - The Complete Series. The series was panned by critics and was canceled before all of the eight produced episodes could even be aired (one was left unaired), but those who did enjoy the series, this is the set for you. The availability date is not yet known, but typically, Sony's MOD releases come around the first Tuesday of each month.

CBS Home Entertainment has a release on August 14 of another half season of a classic '70s action series from the Spelling Entertainment library, with Vega$ - The Third Season, Volume 2. This release marks the final release of the series starring Robert Urich, completing the entire series on DVD. It isn't available to preorder on amazon.com just yet, but should be soon.

UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (May 22) has no sitcom releases, but there are some releases for fans of classic television. First, Shout! Factory completes two classic series with their releases of S.W.A.T. - The Final Season and Route 66 - The Complete Series. You can read our review of S.W.A.T. here. Also, Time Life has The Dean Martin Variety Show - Uncut. You can read our review of this release here.  

BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

Blog DVD Review: Fantasy Island - The Complete Second Season (Shout! Factory, $39.97)

by skees53

Welcome to Fantasy Island, the place where your dreams become reality! And now, the entire second season becomes a reality as Shout! Factory picks up the rights to the classic series from Sony, starting with Fantasy Island - The Complete Second Season. The series debuted on ABC on the foothills of success of the similar series, The Love Boat (both were produced by Aaron Spelling), and made up one of the most memorable Saturday night lineups in all of TV history. The series stars Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as sidekick Tattoo, as they welcome guests to the island each and every week to make their fantasies come true, no matter what they may be. And of course, most of those guests were well-know celebrities of the era, particularly TV stars.

Before describing each of the episodes, we'll briefly go over the format of the series. Each episode features two alternating stories (in some of the longer episodes, there are three) about guests coming to the island to fulfill his or her fantasy, for "only" $50,000... or whatever he or she can afford if they don't have that. Rarely, though, does the fantasy that the person hopes to achieve turns out the way it was expected. With 25 episodes, containing a total of 52 stories, it would be difficult to describe every story, but we'll highlight a few of them.

A Vietnam vet who was presumed dead wants his remarried wife and son back in "The Homecoming." In "The Big Dipper," a pickpocket and his daughter post as vacationers to hide from authorities. An archaeologist wants to uncover the secrets of a cursed tomb in "Tomb." In "I Want to Get Married," a librarian comes to the island to get married, but doesn't come with a possible groom. A self-professed wimp comes to the island for strength in "The Toughest Man Alive." A doctor wants a large monetary grant to build a hospital in "The Appointment." In "The Flight of the Great Yellow Bird," a man is on the hunt for Sasquatch. In "Charlie's Cherubs," three girls want to solve a crime, by channeling their idols from Charlie's Angels. World War II vets are looking to recover stolen treasure in "Stalag 3."

In "Vampire," a method actor wants to become what he is about to play. A hypochondriac just wants a cure in "Substitute Wife," but for what? In "The Stripper," an heiress is trying to escape an arranged marriage. A young boxer wants one last opportunity to win, even if it will kill him, in "The Boxer." A TV reporter thinks she may be cursed when her relationships all seem to be dying in "Pentagram." In "A Little Ball," a young nun visits the island to live out her last fantasies before deciding to commit to the church. Two friends are given half a million dollars in "Spending Spree." In "Birthday Party," a woman wants to be reunited with her twins that she gave up for adoption several decades earlier. A gag writer lives out his dreams of being a comedian in "The Comic." Tattoo is kidnapped to get revenge on Roarke in "Cornelius and Alphonse." In "Bowling," a mediocre bowler just wants to be able to compete against professionals. A boy has a fantasy to operate an amusement park in "Amusement Park."

The episodes appear to be unedited, with most even retaining the original '70s Columbia Pictures Television "sunburst" logo at the end of each episode. As previously mentioned, you'll find many guest stars in the series, far too many to even list them in the episode descriptions, so we list them alongside the runtimes. Runtimes and guests are as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "The Sheikh/The Homecoming" (48:49) - David Birney, Georgia Engel, Cassandra Peterson
2. "Big Dipper/The Pirate" (48:52) - Sonny Bono, Diana Canova, Dan Rowan, Danny Wells
3. "The Beachcomber/The Last Whodunit" (48:43) - John Astin, Maurice Evans, Janis Paige
4.  "The Best Seller/The Tomb" (48:46) - Desi Arnaz Jr., Shelley Fabares, Maureen McCormick, Jeannie Wilson

Disc 2:
5. "I Want to Get Married/The Jewel Thief" (48:39) - Ken Berry, Steve Forrest, Meredith MacRae, Henry Polic II
6. "The War Games/The Boston Bruisers" (48:45) - Mary Jo Catlett, Don DeFore, Jonathan Frakes, Anne Francis
7. "Let the Good Times Roll/Nightmare/The Tiger" (1:14:53) - Danny Bonaduce, Mary Ann Mobley
8. "Return/The Toughest Man Alive" (48:42) - Red Buttons

Disc 3:
9. "The Appointment/Mr. Tattoo" (48:42) - Barbi Benton, Bert Convy, Connie Stevens
10. "Island of the Lost Women/The Flight of the Great Yellow Bird" (48:43) - Peter Graves, Lisa Loring, Michelle Pfeiffer
11. "Carnival/The Vaudevillians" (48:42) - John Fielder, Phil Silvers
12. "Charlie's Cherubs/Stalag 3" (48:45) - Yvonne De Carlo

Disc 4:
13. "Vampire/The Lady and the Longhorn" (48:46) - Eva Gabor, Robert Reed, Julia Sommars
14. "Séance/The Treasure" (49:14) - Shelley Fabares, George Maharis, Leslie Nielsen, Eve Plumb
15. "Cowboy/Substitute Wife" (48:52)
16. "Photographs/Royal Flush" (49:15) - Mabel King, Michele Lee

Disc 5:
17. "The Stripper/The Boxer" (49:15) - Stacy Keach Sr., Maureen McCormick, Forrest Tucker
18. "Pentagram/A Little Ball/Casting Director" (1:14:08) - Lisa Hartman, Florence Henderson, Don Knotts, Cesar Romero, Abe Vigoda
19. "Spending Spree/The Hunted" (49:24) - Diana Canova
20. "The Birthday Party/Ghost Breaker" (49:17) - Ken Berry, Annette Funicello, Janet Leigh, Larry Storch

Disc 6:
21. "Yesterday's Love/Fountain of Youth" (49:15) - Lew Ayres
22. "The Comic/Golden Hour" (49:14)
23. "Cornelius and Alphonse/The Choice" (48:28) - Red Buttons, Juliet Mills, Mary Ann Mobley, Regis Philbin
24. "Bowling/Command Performance" (49:19) - Rue McClanahan, Roddy McDowall, Al Molinaro,
25. "Amusement Park/Rock Stars" (47:58) - Jimmy Baio, Scott Baio, William Boyett, Bernard Fox, Tracey Gold, Ted Lange

The set comes packaged in a standard sized Viva case. On the front, there is a picture of Mr. Roarke and Tattoo standing on the island, and on the back, there are a few more photos from the series. These will look familiar to those who have purchased Sony's release of the first season... Shout! used a lot of the same artwork. In fact, the cover art for this set was actually used on the back of the release for the first season! Inside the case, you'll find the six discs, all of which have the same shot of Mr. Roarke and Tattoo as on the cover, except with a green background. A listing of all of the episodes and guest stars is printed inside the case, but there are no descriptions. That is somewhat understandable since there are so many stories in the series, but descriptions were included for the release of the first season.

The menus on the set are very nice, with a photo of Mr. Roarke and Tattoo (for once, it is different from the cover art, while video from some of the episodes on the disc plays in the corner of the screen with the theme music playing. There are options of Play All and Episodes. Once you select Episodes, you get a video of Mr. Roarke saying "welcome to Fantasy Island." The episodes menu simply lists all of the episodes on the disc. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately, and there are chapters within each episode.

Compared to a lot of these Columbia (now Sony) series from Aaron Spelling from this era, these episodes look and sound really good. Not necessarily perfect, though, because there is some debris here and there, and the audio can be a tadbit low at times, but there aren't any serious concerns here at all. Each episode on the set is closed-captioned.

There are no special features on the set. What would have been nice to see would have been original episode teasers. After all, the first season actually DID have these! So apparently they exist, but I suppose it would have been more of a challenge for Shout! to include this since they merely sublicensed the episodes.

This is a great set of episodes for the series, and I think that the stories and guest stars in this season were a lot better than in the first season. I am happy that Shout! Factory decided to pick up this previously abandoned series, and I'm hoping to see more episodes of the series, all the way through the final season, but it remains to be seen how well this one will sell. It is too bad that CBS can't get "on board" too and move ahead with Love Boat, as these series are one of those rare "perfect pairs" of TV series which both should be on DVD. Of course, fans of this series will enjoy this set, but fans of other series of the era, particularly Love Boat, are sure to enjoy this set... it is a fantasy come to life!

(4/5 stars)

To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:

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Related links:

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Fantasy Island on TV.com

CLICK OF THE WEEK

Magnum Mania (www.magnum-mania.com) - We often like to keep a theme for a few weeks on our Click of the Week, and we're continuing with our '80s action series theme these week with Magnum Mania, a site dedicated to the classic series starring Tom Selleck, Magnum P.I. The series is one of the most beloved high octane series of the '80s (and of all time for that matter) and follows Thomas Magnum as he provides security at the Robin's Nest complex on Oahu... and oh yeah, also providing his detective abilities in cases all over the island.

Magnum Mania is one of best--and actually, in my opinion, the best--website for the series. Unlike many websites which we feature, this one is relatively new, and began in 2006 by a loyal and dedicated fan of the series. But in those very short six years, it has grown into a site for everything related to the series. There is a very thorough episode guide (complete with notes and trivia), a music guide for all of the episodes, an expansive photo gallery, active message boards, PDFs of news articles from the original run (believe it or not, the series actually brought in a record breaking dollar amount for MCA Television when it first entered syndication!), and much more. There are even several pages dedicated to the real Robin's Nest, and everything you'd ever want to know about it. This is truly one of the most thorough and complete websites that I've seen for any series, and it is even more fascinating that it only continues to grow thanks to a dedicated webmaster, which makes this our Click of the Week.

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

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

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Labels: Blog DVD Reviews, Digital Digest, Fantasy Island