SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

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

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

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

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

Hulu released the official trailer and key art for upcoming limited anthology rom-com series Four Weddings and a Funeral from Mindy Kaling. The series stars Zoe Boyle, Nathalie Emmanuel, Guz Khan, Sophia La Porta, Harish Patel, Nikesh Patel, John Reynolds, Rebecca Rittenhouse and Brandon Mychal Smith. Four Weddings and a Funeral premieres the first four episodes Wednesday, July 31 and new episodes weekly only on Hulu. Maya (Nathalie Emmanuel), the young communications director for a New York senatorial campaign, receives a wedding invitation from her college schoolmate now living in London. She leaves her professional and personal life behind, in favor of traveling to England and reconnecting with old friends and ends up in the midst of their personal crises. Relationships are forged and broken, political scandals exposed, London social life lampooned, love affairs ignited and doused, and of course there are four weddings... and a funeral.

Four Weddings and a Funeral pilot script is written by Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton. The series is executive produced by Mindy Kaling, Tracey Wigfield, Richard Curtis, Matt Warburton, Jonathan Prince, Howard Klein of 3Arts Entertainment, Charlie Grandy, Tristram Shapeero and Charles McDougall (Ep. 1 & 2). The series is produced by MGM Television and Universal Television, with MGM serving as the lead studio.

An all-new comedy series titled The Righteous Gemstones is coming to HBO this August. The Righteous Gemstones, starring Danny McBride, John Goodman, Edi Patterson and Adam Devine, kicks off its nine-episode season with an hour-long episode Sunday, Aug. 18 from 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT, followed by half-hour episodes on subsequent Sundays, exclusively on HBO. The comedy series tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work. Executive producers, Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, John Carcieri, Jeff Fradley and Brandon James.

FYI...On Wednesday, November 14, Murphy Brown celebrates 30 years since its original television debut. To commemorate the anniversary, Antenna TV will air "Murphy at 30" a full-day marathon of original Murphy Brown episodes. Beginning at 5am ET and running through 11:30pm ET on November 14, Antenna TV's "Murphy at 30" marathon features 37 classic water-cooler episodes. Murphy's sharp wit, combined with the rest of the original FYI team, make for a nostalgic day of laughs. See where it all began on Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast entertainment network. Classic Murphy Brown regularly airs on Antenna TV weeknights 11pm ET/8pm PT and weekends 5pm ET/2pm PT. And the new revival of Murphy Brown airs on CBS Thursdays at 9:30pm.

Hulu announced that Jessica Williams, Nikesh Patel, Rebecca Rittenhouse and John Reynolds have been cast in the upcoming limited romantic comedy series Four Weddings and a Funeral. Jessica Williams (2 Dope Queens), Nikesh Patel (Indian Summers), Rebecca Rittenhouse (Blood & Oil) and John Reynolds (Search Party) have been cast in Hulu's upcoming original limited romantic comedy series Four Weddings and a Funeral. Jessica Williams has been cast as "Jess," Nikesh Patel has been cast as "Kash," Rebecca Rittenhouse has been cast as "Ainsley" and John Reynolds has been cast as "Duffy."

In the comedy, Jess (Jessica Williams), the young communications director for a New York senatorial campaign, receives a wedding invitation from her college schoolmate now living in London. She leaves her professional and personal life behind, in favor of traveling to England and reconnecting with old friends and ends up in the midst of their personal crises. Relationships are forged and broken, political scandals exposed, London social life lampooned, love affairs ignited and doused, and of course there are four weddings... and a funeral. Four Weddings and a Funeral is expected to debut in 2019 on Hulu.