SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Amazon Freevee Gets New Comedy Series; Apple TV+ Loot Returns April 3

Amazon Freevee announced the official April 18 premiere date and released the trailer for the new single-camera comedy series, Dinner with the Parents, about a weekly family get-together that always devolves into chaos. Every Friday evening, the closely-knit Langers prove that it takes those we love best to bring out our worst. On tonight's menu: pranks, schemes, unwelcome neighbors, childhood crushes, at least one felony, many very bad decisions, and a scrumptious, freshly-baked apple crisp. The first four episodes of Dinner with the Parents will be available to stream exclusively on Amazon Freevee in the U.S. beginning on Thursday, April 18, with two additional episodes available each Thursday until the finale on May 9.

Dinner with the Parents stars Michaela Watkins (Tiny Beautiful Things, Casual) as Jane, Dan Bakkedahl (Veep) as Harvey, Carol Kane (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) as Rose/Nana, Henry Hall (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as David, Daniel Thrasher (YouTube @DanielThrasher) as Gregg, and Jon Glaser (Life and Beth) as Donnie. The guest stars also include Rob Delaney (Deadpool), Christine Adams (Hijack), and Mircea Monroe (The Rookie). The show is based on the U.K.'s Channel 4 award-winning series Friday Night Dinner, created by Robert Popper. The series has been cemented as one of Channel 4's most successful comedies following record-breaking viewing figures.

Apple TV+ revealed the trailer for the second season of Loot, the critically acclaimed comedy led by multi-Emmy Award-winning star and executive producer Maya Rudolph, alongside returning ensemble cast stars Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Nat Faxon, Ron Funches and Joel Kim Booster. Teasing what's to come this season, the trailer reveals new guest stars including Benjamin Bratt, Ana Gasteyer, and O-T Fagbenle, among others. Loot season two will debut with the first two episodes on Wednesday, April 3 on Apple TV+ followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 29.

Loot season two kicks off a year after Molly Wells (Rudolph) settles her very public divorce from tech billionaire John Novak (Adam Scott), and we find her thriving in her role as the head of her philanthropic organization, the Wells Foundation. Focused mainly on her charity work, Molly has sworn off any new relationships with men and embarks on a wellness journey. Fabulously single but not particularly independent, Molly keeps her trusty assistant Nicholas (Booster) by her side. He diligently caters to her every whim … and occasionally feeds her a kale smoothie spiked with gin

Sofia Salinas (Rodriguez), the no-nonsense executive director of the Wells Foundation, continues to run things with compassionate efficiency, but her all-business ethos is thrown for a loop when she meets Molly's charismatic architect friend Isaac (O-T Fagbenle). The bromance between Howard (Funches) and Nicholas also continues to flourish as they support each other in their endeavors both inside and outside the workplace. Meanwhile, Arthur (Faxon) has moved past his feelings for Molly and has adopted a new devil-may-care attitude on life, a change encapsulated by a very lame leather bracelet. The Wells Foundation team, including Rhonda (Meagen Fay) and Ainsley (Stephanie Styles), must pull together as co-workers and friends as Molly strives to publicly live up to her promise of giving away all of her vast fortune.

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

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Labels: Apple TV+, Dinner with the Parents, Freevee, Loot

Who's the Boss? Now on Hulu; The CW Announces New Series Wild Cards

The classic '80s sitcom Who's the Boss? is now streaming on Hulu with all eight seasons! "There's a time for love, and a time for streaming..." When his career is cut short by injuries, an ex-Major League baseball player and single dad goes to work as a live-in housekeeper for a high-powered advertising executive and single mom. Starring Tony Danza, Judith Light, Alyssa Milano, Danny Pintauro and Katherine Helmond. The reboot version for Freevee is in the works, but still no word. Set 30 years after the events of the original series, the sequel will focus on former Major League Baseball player/retired housekeeper Tony Micelli (Danza) and his relationship with his daughter Samantha (Milano). She is now a single mother, living in the family house. In line with Lear's classic shows, the new comedy will explore generational differences, as well as opposing worldviews and parenting styles within the dynamic of a modern family.

The CW Network announced the new original series Wild Cards starring Vanessa Morgan (Riverdale) and Giacomo Gianniotti (Grey's Anatomy, Reign) will premiere on Wednesday, January 17 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT) followed by the season three premiere of returning favorite drama Family Law (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT) starring Jewel Staite (Firefly, The L.A. Complex) and Victor Garber (DC's Legends of Tomorrow). Wild Cards is a crime-solving procedural with a comedic twist that follows the unlikely duo of a by-the-book, sardonic cop and a spirited, clever con woman. Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti) is a demoted detective who has begrudgingly spent the last year on the maritime unit, while Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan) has been living a transient life elaborately scamming everyone she meets. Acclaimed actor Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills, 90210) joins the cast as George, Max’s father and a master con man. Season three of FAMILY LAW follows Abby (Jewel Staite) and her dysfunctional family as they help other dysfunctional families – all while navigating their own personal dramas.

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

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Labels: Freevee, Hulu, The CW, Who's the Boss?

Adult Swim and Cartoon Network Bringing Rick and Morty and More to Comic Con; Amazon Freevee Brings TV Stars to New Movie

Adult Swim and Cartoon Network announced a must-see San Diego Comic-Con lineup featuring top animated series. With a schedule that encompasses both kids' and family entertainment and adult comedy, this year's schedule will include panels for the Emmy(R)-winning global phenomenon Rick and Morty, new action-packed series My Adventures with Superman, the latest season of the adult animated comedy Teenage Euthanasia, as well as Cartoon Networks' upcoming new show Tiny Toons Looniversity. Plus, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment will also highlight the forthcoming releases of the highly anticipated animated films based on two of Adult Swim's most beloved series: The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart and Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar.

Delving into each series, panels will bring exclusive first looks, behind-the-scenes insights, and interactive fun. Join the zany cast and crew of Cartoon Network's Tiny Toons Looniversity for an exclusive screening and Q&A before flying to Metropolis for a behind-the-scenes look at Adult Swim's newest series, My Adventures with Superman. Panels continue throughout the day with a look at season two of Teenage Euthanasia, the epic return of Dethklok in a Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar preview panel, culminating in a 10th-anniversary celebration and season seven sneak peek of Adult Swim's wildly popular series, Rick and Morty. Additional Adult Swim and Cartoon Network events during San Diego Comic-Con include the Adult Swim Festival on the Green in San Diego and signings at the DC booth with the cast of My Adventures with Superman.

Amazon Freevee released the trailer and key art for its upcoming Original film Puppy Love, a new romantic comedy starring Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars) and Grant Gustin (The Flash). Produced by BuzzFeed Studios and Lionsgate, Puppy Love will premiere on Freevee and also be available to rent or own digitally on Friday, August 18. After a disastrous first date, wild child Nicole (Lucy Hale) and socially anxious Max (Grant Gustin) vow to lose each other's numbers, until they learn that their dogs found a love match, and now puppies are on the way! The hilariously mismatched Nicole and Max are forced to become responsible co-parents, but may end up finding love themselves.

The film was inspired by BuzzFeed's viral digital series Puppyhood produced in 2015, which followed a man who found his soulmate in a puppy. Puppy Love also features Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman), Michael Hitchcock (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), and Nore Davis (Nore Davis: You Guys are Dope).

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

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Labels: Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Freevee, Pretty Little Liars, Rick & Morty, San Diego Comic Con

The CW Renews Two Current Dramas for 2023-24; Jury Duty Events in Los Angeles

The CW Network has renewed All American: Homecoming and Superman & Lois for the 2023-24 broadcast season. All American: Homecoming will return for a 13-episode third season, while Superman & Lois has been renewed for a 10-episode fourth season. All American: Homecoming is centered around tennis player Simone Hicks (Geffri Maya), baseball prodigy Damon Sims (Peyton Alex Smith) and the diverse group of friends they have cultivated at Bringston University. In Superman & Lois, after years of facing megalomaniacal supervillains, monsters wreaking havoc on Metropolis, and alien invaders intent on wiping out the human race, the world's most famous superhero, The Man of Steel aka Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) and comic books' most famous journalist, Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), come face to face with one of their greatest challenges ever - dealing with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today's society.


Amazon Freevee serves tacos, not summons, with Jury Duty themed food trucks in Los Angeles. See the graphic for more details and timings! Jury Duty is a documentary-style comedy series that chronicles the inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of one particular juror. What that juror doesn’t know is that the entire case is fake, everyone except him is an actor, and everything that happens — inside the courtroom and out — is carefully planned. All eight episodes of Jury Duty are streaming now on Amazon Freevee. A special cast commentary edition is also available as of June 1. Amazon Freevee is a free streaming service available as a standalone app and via Prime Video and Fire TV as well as other third party apps.

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

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Labels: Amazon Prime, Freevee, Jury Duty, The CW

Amazon Freevee's Jury Duty Gets Special Release; Stars on Mars Fan Experience

Court is back in session. Amazon Freevee and Prime Video have announced they will release an exclusive cast commentary edition of the hit docu-style comedy series Jury Duty on June 1. All eight episodes of the series will include secrets from the jury box, as told by director Jake Szymanski, hero Ronald Gladden, and some of the jurors themselves - James Marsden (as Sex Drive star James Marsden), Mekki Leeper (Noah), Cassandra Blair (Vanessa), and Maria Russell (Inez). While reliving the "case" of Hilgrove vs. Morris, trial observers will be treated to never-before-heard anecdotes about what it took to create the carefully-planned-yet-chaotic world - inside the courtroom and out - for esteemed foreperson Ronald Gladden. New testimony from Gladden himself will reveal exactly what he was thinking in every unpredictable moment.

Since the series debuted on April 7, Jury Duty has become the No. 1 title on Freevee and a viral hit, with over 283 million TikTok posts under the hashtag #JuryDutyonFreevee. The exclusive cast commentary episodes will be available on Freevee in the U.S., UK, Germany, and Austria, and simultaneously on Prime Video in the U.S, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Philippines, Singapore, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Audiences watching on Amazon.com or Prime Video via Fire TV will find the commentary under the "Extras" tab on the Jury Duty series page. Additionally, those who have been wanting their own Cinnamon & Sparrow pieces are in luck. Amazon has launched a collection of official Jury Duty merchandise through its print-on-demand service that allows customers to shop millions of products from popular brands and independent designers. The assortment features 35 different styles (functioning chair pants not included), and will be available in the U.S. on June 1 exclusively at amazon.com/jurydutymerch.

FOX is inviting all wine lovers, space enthusiasts and TV fans to the official opening of “The Mars Bar” - an exclusive hosted wine bar pop-up coming to Los Angeles to celebrate FOX's highly anticipated new unscripted series Stars on Mars. “The Mars Bar” will temporarily take over the popular Scum & Villainy Cantina in Hollywood from June 2nd to June 3rd, offering guests the chance to experience the Red (Wine) Planet with series-inspired ‘Space Flights,’ astronaut charcuterie, exclusive content and “star” gazing in a fully immersive setting. Stars on Mars will premiere on Monday, June 5 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT on FOX.

Upon entering “The Mars Bar,” guests will be able to sample a curated selection of space-themed wines, specially chosen to reflect the allure and unexpected moments of the new series. From rich, robust reds to crisp and refreshing whites, each glass will be a voyage of flavors that transport your senses to uncharted territories. Let the Mission Specialist Sommelier take you on a star-studded odyssey to "Mars" through a journey of the senses. Enjoy a tantalizing wine flight and catch a glimpse of the new season while you sip.

This summer, adventurous celebrities prepare for take-off to “Mars”, where they will live, eat, sleep, strategize and bond with each other in the same space station. During their stay, they will be faced with authentic conditions that simulate life on Mars, and they must use their brains and brawn – or maybe just their stellar social skills - to outlast the competition and claim the title of brightest star in the galaxy. The celebrities will compete in missions and will vote to eliminate one of their crewmates each week, sending them back to Earth. Cue the intergalactic alliances and rivalries. Stars on Mars will send these famous rookie space travelers where no one has gone before and reveal who has what it takes to survive life on “Mars.” The 12 celebronauts heading to “Mars” include Lance Armstrong, Natasha Leggero, Marshawn Lynch, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Adam Rippon, Ronda Rousey, Tom Schwartz, Richard Sherman, Tinashe, Porsha Williams Guobadia, Tallulah Willis and Ariel Winter. Once on “Mars,” this group of stars will receive interstellar assignments from legendary actor and Star Trek icon William Shatner, who serves as Mission Control.

Reservations to attend the two-day “The Mars Bar'' experience are required for entrance and will be available for Los Angeles attendees beginning at 12:00pm PST on Tuesday, May 30 via Tock: https://www.exploretock.com/themarsbar. Additional details regarding the experience will be announced in the coming weeks.

Where: Los Angeles
When: Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3 from 12:00 PM – 8:00PM PT
Where: Scum & Villainy Cantina - 6377 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
RSVP: https://www.exploretock.com/themarsbar

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

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Labels: Amazon Prime, Fox, Freevee, Jury Duty, Stars on Mars

Futurama Triumphantly Returns July 24; Final Season of Physical Drops August 2; Primo Premieres May 19 on Amazon Freevee

Season 11 of Futurama is set to premiere on Monday, July 24, 2023 with one episode. New episodes will be released weekly on Mondays on Hulu. After a brief ten-year hiatus, Futurama has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact. The ten all-new episodes of season eleven have something for everyone. New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries – including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler's litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy's tadpoles. Meanwhile there's a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV.

After its initial run on the Fox Broadcasting Network, a roller-coaster of cancelations and resurrections ensued. Four successful direct-to-DVD releases in 2007-2009 led to the show's rebirth on Comedy Central from 2010-2013. Then, after a brief ten-year freeze in the cryogenic chamber, Futurama emerged triumphantly as a streaming series for Hulu with a 20-episode order set to debut in 2023. Starring John DiMaggio, Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman.

Apple TV+ announced that Physical, its widely celebrated and hit half-hour dramedy starring and executive produced by Rose Byrne and hailing from creator, writer and executive producer Annie Weisman, is set to return for its 10-episode third and final season on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. Since its global debut on Apple TV+, Physical has drawn acclaim from audiences and critics alike, as well as praise for performances by its ensemble cast led by "perfectly cast" and "masterful" Rose Byrne, and stars Rory Scovel, Dierdre Friel and Paul Sparks. The series is produced for Apple TV+ by Tomorrow Studios. Viewers can catch up on seasons one and two of Physical, now streaming globally on Apple TV+. Season three of Physical expands its cast with Emmy and Grammy Award-nominee and Critics Choice Award winner Zooey Deschanel, who plays 'Kelli,' a network sitcom star who decides to enter the burgeoning Fitness Industry.

Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of sunny 1980s San Diego, Physical is a half-hour dark comedy following Sheila Rubin (Byrne), a quietly tortured, seemingly dutiful housewife supporting her smart but controversial husband's bid for state assembly. But behind closed doors, Sheila has her own darkly funny take on life she rarely lets the world see. She's also battling a complex set of personal demons relating to her self-image... that is, until she finds release through the unlikeliest source: the world of aerobics. Season two found 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 (Rory 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.

Primo, is a coming-of-age, single-camera comedy, inspired by NYT Best-Selling author Shea Serrano's life growing up in San Antonio, TX. It follows Rafa Gonzales, a wide-eyed 16-year-old being raised by his clever mother, Drea, and his five overbearing uncles (Rollie, Mike, Ryan, Jay, and Mondo) as they live their lives on the southside of San Antonio. Rafa is at an inflection point, as three big life moments coincide: he and his friends are nearing the end of high school; he's pretty sure he just met the girl of his dreams; and he just found out he has a real chance to become the first person in his family to go to college. Over the course of the series, the group - Rafa, his mom, uncles,, friends, and crush - will all affect each other and help one anotther grow in ways they weren't expecting, whether they like it or not.

All eight episodes of the first season will be available to stream exclusively on Amazon Freevee in the U.S., the UK, Germany, and Austria beginning on May 19.

Primo stars Ignacio Diaz-Silverio (The Good Fight), Johnny Rey Diaz (Grey's Anatomy), Christina Vidal (The Terminal List, Taina), Henri Esteve (Grown-ish, Homecoming), Martin Martinez (Magnum P.I.), Jonathan Medina (The Purge), Carlos Santos (Gentefied), Nigel Siwabessy (Stop the Bleeding!), Efrain Villa (Better Call Saul), and Stakiah Lynn Washington (Everything is Both).

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:05 PM

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Labels: Apple TV+, Freevee, Futurama, Hulu, Physical, Primo

Amazon Freevee Orders The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh; ABC's 20th Anniversary of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Amazon Freevee announced a greenlight for The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, an Original comedy series starring Emmy nominee and SAG Award winner Naveen Andrews (The Dropout, Lost), comedian Sindhu Vee (Starstruck), and Tony nominee Megan Hilty (Smash, Patsy & Loretta). Inspired by the personal experiences of Emmy-nominated Vijal Patel (black-ish, The Middle), the series follows the Pradeep family and the humorous events of their first few months after moving to America from India. As told through hilarious (and often conflicting) flashbacks from an interrogation room, the Pradeeps quickly find themselves embroiled - romantically, personally, and professionally - with a polar-opposite neighborhood family, leading to a predicament with many surprising twists. The eight, half-hour episode series is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios. Writer Vijal Patel will also serve as showrunner and executive producer. Emmy winner Sara Gilbert, Mandy Summers, and Emmy winner Tom Werner are executive producers. Michael Showalter of Semi-Formal Productions is also an executive producer and will direct the pilot.

ABC's Emmy(R) Award-winning late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live! will celebrate 20 years on Thursday, Jan. 26, and will air a special primetime anniversary episode that evening at 10 p.m. The episode will re-air in the show's regular 11:35 p.m. timeslot later that night. Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered on Jan. 26, 2003, with debut guests George Clooney, Snoop Dogg and Coldplay. Clooney, Snoop Dogg and Chris Martin of Coldplay will return as guests for the 20th anniversary special. Kimmel's recent contract extension will keep him on ABC through a historic 23rd season, making Jimmy Kimmel Live! one of the longest-running talk shows in American television history. The show broadcasts from the iconic El Capitan Entertainment Centre on Hollywood Boulevard. Jimmy Kimmel, Erin Irwin, Molly McNearney, Jennifer Sharron and David Craig serve as executive producers; Douglas DeLuca serves as co-executive producer. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by 12:05 AM Productions, LLC, in association with KIMMELOT and ABC Signature. Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. PT/ET.

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

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Labels: ABC, Freevee, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh

Abbott Elementary Season 2 Premiere Soars in Viewership; Sarah Hyland Heads to Freevee to Host Series

Network TV shows that are not live events or sports are mostly watched on DVR, onDemand or on streaming services (Hulu, Peacock, etc) these days. Megahit comedy Abbott Elementary does a respectable live+same day linear TV number in terms of today's numbers but that's no where near its total viewership audience per episode. After 7 days of multiplatform (MP7) viewing, the second season premiere jumped over +300% in Adults 18-49. And that will be even higher after 35 days. It's the present and future of how we watch television and the broadcast networks know this. Here is what ABC released: After just seven days of multiplatform viewing, the second season premiere of Abbott Elementary skyrocketed to a 2.38 rating among Adults 18-49, soaring more than 4 times over its initial Live+Same Day rating (+318% - 0.57 rating). Abbott Elementary also picked up an additional +4.1 million Total Viewers over its Live+Same Day average (2.9 million) to hit 7.0 million viewers after seven days of multiplatform viewing. Abbott Elementary delivered its largest-ever delayed-viewing lift with Total Viewers (+4.1 million) and its 2nd-biggest-ever increase among Adults 18-49 (+318%).

The season 2 premiere of Abbott Elementary nearly doubled its December series debut (on 12/7/21) among Adults 18-49 (+92% - 2.38 rating MP7 vs. 1.24 rating Mp7), while soaring by 52% in Total Viewers (7.0 million vs. 4.6 million). In fact, the ABC sitcom launched its second season with series highs in both Adults 18-49 (2.38 rating) and Total Viewers (7.0 million). Based on linear Live+7 Day program ratings, the second season premiere of Abbott Elementary matched the series' highest-rated telecast among Adults 18-49 (0.9/8) and drew its 2nd-largest audience ever in Total Viewers (4.3 million). Abbott Elementary improved over its December series debut (on 12/7/21) by 16% in Total Viewers (4.3 million vs. 3.7 million) and by 13% with Adults 18-49 (0.9/8 vs. 0.8/6). In addition, the sophomore ABC sitcom built over its April first season finale (3.8 million and 0.8/6, respectively, on 4/12/22) in both Total Viewers (+13%) and Adults 18-49 (+13%).

So it's time to stop looking/reporting at a small piece of a pie (linear live+same day) and start looking at a full piece of pie (MP7/MP35) when looking at broadcast enterainment series. Viewing habits have changed, so reporting should reflect that.

Amazon Freevee revealed the official trailer and premiere date for the Freevee Original series Play-Doh Squished. The lively competition show is hosted by Sarah Hyland (Modern Family, Pitch Perfect Bumper in Berlin). Based on the hit holiday special released last year, and featuring updates reflecting the shift from special to series, the first episode premieres exclusively on Freevee November 11 in the U.S. and UK, with new episodes available on the service every Friday thereafter until February 24, 2023. Sarah Hyland will be joined each week by resident Play-Doh expert Jason Loik as well as two standing judges, painter Alexandra Nechita and sculptor Gil Grimmett. An all-star lineup of celebrity guest judges adds to the fun, including Sarah's hudband Wells Adams, Stephen "tWitch" Boss, Modern Famly mom Julie Bowen, D'Arcy Carden, "Young Dylan" Gilmer, Tony Hale, Chloe Kim, Marshawn Lynch, Alyssa Milano, Madison Pettis, Jay Pharoah, Jaime Pressly, Francia Raisa, Rob Riggle, and Kristen Schaal. Each episode will feature a new theme to inspire teams as they build their Play-Doh creations. From creating monsters, to designing out-of-this-world terrains, teams will be challenged to use Play-Doh tools and compound in a variety of new ways.

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

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Labels: Abbott Elementary, ABC, Freevee, Hulu, Modern Family

SitcomsOnline Digest: Laverne Cox Comedy from Norman Lear Lands Freevee Series Order; Fox Looking Into Adult Animated Drama

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's feeling more like fall and the full-throated kickoff for the fall television season is almost here, but we're not there just yet (though a season premiere of one cable series is lingering out there this week). This week, we have news of a new Norman Lear comedy and some adult animated drama news for Fox. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Sure, he is 100 years old, but still, Norman Lear has a new sitcom coming to Freevee starring Laverne Cox and George Wallace. (TVLine)
• It's not clear how this would even pan out, but as Fox is in negotiations for keeping their animated hits on the air (something that is far less certain now that they are Disney properties and not owned by Fox), the network is looking into adult animated dramas. (Deadline)
• In advance of the premiere of the Quantum Leap reboot, a special drive-thru experience is coming to Los Angeles. (Deadline)
• Deadline has a look at season premiere dates. (Deadline)
• Fans of Days of Our Lives (or really any daytime soap opera) have been used to unscheduled preemptions for breaking news for all of TV history, so it was only fitting that the last two episodes of the series to air on NBC before the series moves to Peacock on Monday were disrupted due to the death of Queen Elizabeth (which, oddly enough, means that the series started while she was queen and more or less ended as soon as she died). (People)
• Bernard Shaw, who was the chief anchor for CNN when it debuted, has died. (CNN)
• It looks as if COZI is moving a little further away from the truly vintage classic TV roots that it started with (though still not diving too far off course), as they'll be adding Monk, Bones, and Las Vegas to their lineup. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (SEPTEMBER 10 - SEPTEMBER 16)

• It's a bird, it's a plane... it's a weekend binge of The Adventures of Superman on Decades.
• Season 4 of Atlanta arrives on FX on Thursday.

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

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Labels: Cozi TV, Days of Our Lives, Fox, Freevee, Norman Lear, Quantum Leap, SitcomsOnline Digest

Abbott Elementary Summer School Marathon on ABC; Freevee's High School Premieres in October

Summer break may be coming to a close, but ABC is keeping the fun going with a binge-worthy Abbott Elementary marathon, featuring four fan-favorite episodes of the seven-time Emmy(R)-nominated comedy. The marathon is set to air back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, Aug. 17 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT). Featured episodes include the following: "Pilot" - A group of dedicated, passionate teachers - and a slightly tone-deaf principal - are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in "Work Family" - After Jacob reveals a detail about his personal life, Janine realizes she doesn't know the other teachers as well as she thought. "Step Class" - Janine is thrilled when Ava asks to help her teach the after-school step class, but the two don't see eye to eye on how to run the program. "Desking" - When the students start participating in a new online trend that causes disruption to the school, the teachers band together to put an end to it. Abbott Elementary returns for season two Wednesday, September 21 (9:00-9:31 p.m. EDT), on ABC. As of now, ABC will have another marathon on Wednesday, Sept. 7 from 8-10pm to get ready for the new season and "back to school."

Amazon Freevee has released the first footage of its long-awaited new half-hour series High School, an eight-episode coming-of-age comedy/drama based on the New York Times best-selling memoir of the same name from Grammy-nominated platinum recording artists Tegan and Sara Quin. The first four episodes of High School will premiere on Friday, October 14, with new episodes available every Friday exclusively on Amazon Freevee.

Produced by Amazon Studios and Emmy-and Academy Award-winning Plan B Entertainment, High School is a story about finding your own identity - a journey made even more complicated when you have a twin whose own struggle and self-discovery so closely mimic your own. Told through a backdrop of '90s grunge and rave culture, the series weaves between parallel and discordant memories of twin sisters growing up down the hall from one another. High School will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this September.

The series stars TikTok creators Railey and Seazynn Gilliland in their television debut as the high school versions of Tegan and Sara, respectively. Special guest stars Cobie Smulders (The Avengers, How I Met Your Mother) and Kyle Bornheimer (Marriage Story, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) play the twins' parents, Simone Bates and Patrick Twiley. Esther McGregor is also a series regular as Natalie. Rounding out the cast are recurring guest stars Olivia Rouyre as Phoebe, Amanda Fix as Maya, Brianne Tju (I Know What You Did Last Summer) as Ali, Geena Meszaros (Under the Banner of Heaven) as Lily, CJ Valleroy (NCIS: Los Angeles) as Evan, and Nate Corddry (For All Mankind) as David.

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

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Labels: Abbott Elementary, ABC, Freevee, High School

Freevee's Sprung Premieres August 19; Bounce's Johnson Returns and Binge Marathon

Amazon Freevee has released the official trailer for its highly anticipated new comedy series Sprung, a 9-episode series focusing on an unlikely group of formerly incarcerated people who band together to use their criminal expertise for good. From Emmy award-winning writer Greg Garcia (My Name is Earl and Raising Hope), Sprung stars Garret Dillahunt (Fear the Walking Dead, The Mindy Project) as Jack, Emmy award-winner Martha Plimpton (Generation, Younger) as Barb, Phillip Garcia (Scandal) as Rooster, Shakira Barrera (GLOW) as Gloria, James Earl (Night School) as Melvin, and introducing Clare Gillies as Wiggles. The first two episodes will debut exclusively on Freevee beginning August 19, followed by new episodes each week and a one-hour season finale on September 16. Guest stars include Kate Walsh (Grey's Anatomy) as Congresswoman Paula Tackleberry, Camden Garcia (My Name is Earl), Andre Jamal Kinney (Embeds), Chris Bauer (Gaslit), Mark Christopher Lawrence, Mike Rob (The Equalizer), Fred Grandy (The Love Boat), Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead), Susan Ruttan (Shameless), and David Wells (Shameless).

Bounce, the popular broadcast and multi-platform entertainment network serving African Americans, is heating things up this summer with the return of its hit original series Johnson, premiering with two new episodes back-to-back Sunday, July 10, 2022 8/7c. Ahead of its season two premiere, Bounce will air a binge-viewing marathon of the first season of the popular dramedy Sunday starting at 10:30 a.m. ET. The Johnson men are back together... well, almost. A couple of months have passed since the fellas had the fallout at the art gallery. This season you will see more dating adventures of four best friends and the challenges they face while confronting and finding humor in the most current controversial social issues from the Black man's perspective, ranging from love and marriage to business, politics, and religion. The ensemble cast is led by Deji LaRay (Bosch, Greenleaf), Thomas G. Jones (P. Valley, Luke Cage), Philip Smithey (Switched at Birth, The Rookie), and Derrex Brady (NCIS, First) with D.L. Hughley. Terri J. Vaughn (The Steve Harvey Show, All of Us) joins the show for season two.

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

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Labels: Bounce TV, Freevee, Johnson, Sprung

Hacks Returns May 12 on HBO Max; IMDb TV Rebrands as Freevee; Remembering Gilbert Gottfried

HBO Max and Universal Television announced the Emmy®-winning and critically-acclaimed Max Original comedy series Hacks will debut its second season Thursday, May 12 with two episodes. The eight-episode season continues with two new episodes a week, concluding June 2. The dark mentorship between legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her young, entitled writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) continues to evolve as the two travel across the country workshopping Deborah’s new stand-up act.

Jean Smart, an Emmy®, SAG Awards® and Critics Choice Awards winner for her performance in season one of the series, will return along with Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Jane Adams, who were all nominated for Emmys for the first season. Returning cast members Christopher McDonald, Kaitlin Olson, Paul W. Downs, Poppy Liu, Rose Abdoo, Mark Indelicato, Meg Stalter, Angela E. Gibbs, Luenell, Johnny Sibilly, Joe Mande, Ally Maki and Lorenza Izzo also star. New recurring guest stars Laurie Metcalf, Martha Kelly, Ming-Na Wen and Susie Essman, and guest stars Margaret Cho and Devon Sawa join in the new season.

Amazon's free streaming service announced a rebrand to Amazon Freevee, the new name for IMDb TV, beginning April 27. Over the last two years, the ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) service experienced rapid growth - tripling monthly active users - driven by rapid distribution across living room devices and mobile, an increasing slate of Originals, an always updating library of highly sought movies and TV shows, and over 60 FAST channels. Following a successful launch in the UK last September, Freevee will continue its international expansion with a launch in Germany later this year.

Freevee will grow its Originals slate by 70% in 2022, including the spinoff of the longest-running Original series for Prime Video, Bosch: Legacy, premiering May 6; a new home-design series, Hollywood Houselift with Jeff Lewis; Greg Garcia's comedy series Sprung; the Australian crime drama Troppo; and High School, a scripted series adapted for television by Clea DuVall, produced by Plan B, and based on the New York Times best-selling memoir by Grammy-nominated, platinum recording artists Tegan and Sara Quin. Amazon's free streaming service will announce additional greenlights at its NewFronts presentation on May 2.

Additionally, the free streaming service will add exclusive Original movies to its already robust slate, starting with a greenlight order for the workplace rom-com Love Accidentally, starring Brenda Song and Aaron O'Connell. In Love Accidentally, Alexa (Song) and Jason (O'Connell) are competing for a promotion at their advertising firm when each of their significant others breaks up with them. Thinking she has texted a friend, Alexa mistakenly sends Jason a brokenhearted message. The two spark up an anonymous relationship via text with neither aware of who the other really is. When the truth comes out, will they be able to put their rivalry aside and let true love prevail? Love Accidentally also features Denise Richards and Maxwell Caulfield, while Barry Barnholtz, Zelma Kiwi, and Jeffrey Schenck serve as executive producers.

Actor and comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who guest starred on more than 20 sitcoms, has died. He died on April 12 in Manhattan from recurrent ventricular tachycardia, complicated by type II myotonic dystrophy. Mr. Gottfried was 67.

Gottfried had a recurring role as Lewis Blanchard, Carlton Blanchard's (William Hickey) equally irritating nephew, on three episodes of Wings from 1994 to 1995. Some of his other 1980s and 1990s sitcom guest appearances included The Cosby Show, Night Court (3 episodes as Oscar Brown), A Different World (2 episodes), Herman's Head, Living Single, The Parent 'Hood, Married with Children, Mad About You, Hope & Gloria, In the House, Clueless, Jenny, The Tom Show and Cosby. He played Bert Banner in the 1994 TV movie Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, which was series finale for Saved by the Bell: The College Years.

Some of his later sitcom guest appearances included Son of the Beach (2 episodes as Noccus Johnstein), Becker, Greg the Bunny (2 episodes), Hannah Montana, 30 Rock (voice), 'Til Death (2 episodes), Anger Management, Deadbeat, The Jim Gaffigan Show (2 episodes), Episodes and Crashing.

In 1987, he starred as Norman on the Cinemax sitcom pilot Norman's Corner. It was co-written by Larry David prior to creating Seinfeld. It was the first sitcom pilot to be shot in HD.

Gottfried was a cast member for 12 episodes on the sixth season (1980-1981) of Saturday Night Live. He was a regular on the late night talk show Thicke of the Night in 1983. He was the Saturday night host of USA Network's USA Up All Night from 1989 to 1998.

He was a regular on the Tom Bergeron era of Hollywood Squares from 1998 to 2004. Some of his other television guest appearances included Superboy (2 episodes), Silk Stalkings, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2 episodes).

Gottfried was known for speaking in a loud and grating voice, which was not his natural speaking voice. He was the voice of parrot Iago in the Aladdin animated films and series. He was the voice of Digit LeBoid on the PBS Kids series Cyberchase. Some of his other voice credits included Problem Child, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (1998), Dilbert, Fairly OddParents, House of Mouse, Justice League Action, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (as Kraang Subprime), Family Guy (2 episodes) and Smiling Friends. He provided the voice of the duck in the Aflac commercials from 2000 to 2011.

He starred as accountant Sidney Bernstein in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). He played adoption agent Igor Peabody in Problem Child (1990) and Problem Child 2 (1991). In 2014, he played Abraham Lincoln in A Million Ways to Die in the West. The documentary Gilbert (2017) explored his life and career.

Survivors include his wife, Dara Kravitz, and their two children, Lily and Max.

Mr. Gottfried was a strange and funny actor and comedian. His late night talk show appearances were always entertaining. We thank him for the many laughs and entertainment that he brought us during his career. He will be greatly missed.

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

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

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Labels: Freevee, Hacks, HBO Max, IMDb, Obits