SitcomsOnline.com News Blog: Government Cheese

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Friday, March 07, 2025

Trailer for Apple TV+ Comedy Government Cheese; Remembering Saved by the Bell and TV Producer Peter Engel

Apple TV+ unveiled the trailer for Government Cheese, starring multi-award-winner David Oyelowo, who also serves as executive producer. The 10-episode comedy will make its global debut on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, April 16, with the first four episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 28, 2025. Simone Missick, Jahi Di'Allo Winston and Evan Ellison star alongside Oyelowo in the Apple Original series hailing from creators Paul Hunter and Aeysha Carr.

Government Cheese is a surrealist family comedy set in 1969 San Fernando Valley that tells the story of the Chambers, a quirky family pursuing lofty and seemingly impossible dreams, beautifully unfettered by the realities of the world. When Hampton Chambers (Oyelowo) is released from prison, his long-awaited family reunion doesn't go quite as he'd planned. During his absence, Hampton's wife Astoria (Missick) and sons Einstein (Ellison) and Harrison (Di'Allo Winston) have formed an unconventional family unit, and Hampton's return spins their world into chaos.

The ensemble cast also includes Jean-Michel Richaud, London Garcia, Djilali Rez-Kallah, Bokeem Woodbine, Jeremy Bobb, Louis Cancelmi, Julien Heron, Louis Ferreira, Thomas Beaudoin and Kyle Mac, with John Ortiz and Adam Beach.

Peter Engel

Television producer Peter Engel, who worked on Saved by the Bell, Hang Time and City Guys, has died. He died on March 4 at his home in Santa Monica, California. Mr. Engel was 88.

Engel's early television producing credits included the 1971 CBS variety series The Ice Palace, which had an ice skating theme. He was an executive producer of the 1974-1975 NBC soap opera How to Survive a Marriage. He was a producer of the short-lived 1976-1977 NBC sitcom Sirota's Court, which starred Michael Constantine, Cynthia Harris, and Fred Willard.

He was an executive producer of the 1988-1989 Disney Channel sitcom Good Morning Bliss. Starring Hayley Mills as teacher Miss Carrie Bliss, the series takes place at the John F. Kennedy Junior High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. The original pilot aired on NBC in the regular primetime timeslot of The Facts of Life. He also wrote an episode in 1988.

Peter Engel - Saved by the Bell

After one season on the air on the Disney Channel, the show was retooled as Saved by the Bell, which aired on NBC from 1989 to 1993. The show follows a group of high school friends and their principal at the fictional Bayside High School in Los Angeles. The series ran for four seasons and 86 episodes. Engel also wrote 12 episodes of the series. The series starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Dustin Diamond, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, Lark Voorhies, and Dennis Haskins.

Engel was an executive producer of the 1993-1994 NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell: The College Years. The series follows Zack Morris, Screech Powers and A.C. Slater, and their three female suitemates, including Kelly Kapowski, in the dorms at college. It was the only series of the franchise to air in primetime.

He was an executive producer of the 1993-2000 NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell: The New Class. The show had the same concept as the original series but featured a new group of students roaming the halls of the fictional Bayside High School. At seven seasons, it was the longest-running incarnation of the franchise. Engel appeared as Murray in a 1997 episode.

Engel worked as an executive producer of the 1992-1996 NBC sitcom California Dreams. The series centers on the friendships of a group of teenagers (shifting toward a multi-ethnic makeup beginning with the show's second season) who form the fictional titular band.

He was an executive producer of the 1995-2000 NBC sitcom Hang Time. The series centers on the exploits of the Deering Tornados boys' varsity basketball team of the fictional Deering High School in the fictional Midwestern town of Deering, Indiana. Engel became the showrunner for the second season, resulting in extensive changes to the show. He appeared as The Commissioner in a 1997 episode.

Engel created and executive produced the 1997-1999 USA Network sitcom USA High. The series revolves around six friends enrolled at the American Academy boarding school in Paris, France. He played Chancellor Engel in a 1999 episode.

He created and executive produced the 1997-2001 NBC sitcom City Guys. The series centers on two teenagers from different backgrounds who both attended Manhattan High School that became best friends.

Engel was an executive producer of the 1998-2001 NBC sitcom One World. The series centers on the Blakes, a family mostly made up of six racially diverse foster teenagers living under one roof under the care of parents Dave, a former professional baseball player and Karen, a sculptor.

He and Carl Kurlander co-created the 1998-2000 first-run syndicated sitcom Malibu, CA. The show centers on the lives of twin brothers Scott (Trevor Merszei) and Jason Collins (Jason Hayes), who move to Malibu, California, from New York City to live with their father, Peter (Edward Blatchford).

In 2001, he was an executive producer of the short-lived NBC comedy-drama All About Us. The series focuses on the development of four teenage girls who live and attend high school in Chicago.

After producing teen-focused series for NBC, Engel transitioned to producing reality television series. He was an executive producer of 28 episodes of the NBC reality series Last Comic Standing from 2004 to 2014. The series received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program in 2004.

He was one of the executive producers for 11 episodes of the 2020-2021 Peacock sitcom Saved by the Bell. The series is set 26 years after Zack and Kelly's wedding, with the main characters of the original series reunited in their 40s and trying to navigate their lives.

I Was Saved by the Bell: Stories of Life, Love, and Dreams That Do Come True

In 2016, he released a memoir titled I Was Saved by the Bell: Stories of Life, Love, and Dreams That Do Come True. He opened up for the first time about his life, from personal and professional highlights to the serious challenges that shaped him.

Mr. Engel was one of the most prolific producers in television with more than 1,000 episodes produced under his banner. He was the architect behind Saved by the Bell, which he executive produced through all of its many incarnations, and which led to his many other teen series. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment that he brought us on Saved by the Bell and his many other sitcoms. He will be greatly missed.

Friday, December 06, 2024

Apple TV+ New Comedy Government Cheese; Prime Video Sets Half-Hour Police Drama

Apple TV+ shared a first-look at Government Cheese, starring multi-award-winner David Oyelowo, who also serves as executive producer. The 10-episode series will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, April 16, with the first four episodes, followed by one episode weekly every Wednesday through May 28, 2025. Simone Missick, Jahi Di'Allo Winston and Evan Ellison star alongside Oyelowo in the series hailing from creators Paul Hunter and Aeysha Carr. Government Cheese is a surrealist family comedy set in 1969 San Fernando Valley that tells the story of the Chambers, a quirky family pursuing lofty and seemingly impossible dreams, beautifully unfettered by the realities of the world. When Hampton Chambers (Oyelowo) is released from prison, his long-awaited family reunion doesn't go quite as he'd planned. During his absence, Hampton's wife, Astoria (Missick), and sons, Einstein (Ellison) and Harrison (Di'Allo Winston), have formed an unconventional family unit, and Hampton's return spins their world into chaos.

The ensemble cast also includes Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo), Jeremy Bobb (The Continental), Louis Cancelmi (The Irishman), Julien Heron (Baskets), Djilali Rez-Kallah (My Hero), Louis Ferreira (Stargate Universe), Thomas Beaudoin (Hubert & Fanny) and Kyle Mac (The Boys), with John Ortiz (Bad Monkey) and Adam Beach (Smoke Signals).

On Call

Prime Video released the official trailer and key art for On Call, a gripping new half-hour drama series from Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television. Co-created by Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf, On Call is Wolf Entertainment’s first scripted streaming series and will premiere January 9, 2025 with all eight episodes, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. On Call is an adrenalized and visceral police drama that follows a rookie and veteran officer duo as they go on patrol in Long Beach, California. Incorporating a mixture of bodycam, dash-camera, and cellphone footage to create a cinema verité effect, the innovative series explores the morality of protecting and serving a community.

The series stars Troian Bellisario (Pretty Little Liars) as officer “Traci Harmon,” a seasoned twelve year veteran and training officer with a strong moral compass that has defined her approach to policing, even if that puts her at odds with new law enforcement policies. Brandon Larracuente (The Good Doctor) stars as “Alex Diaz,” an ambitious rookie who grapples with holding onto his optimistic outlook as he realizes the challenges he’ll face in today’s climate. Additional cast includes Eriq La Salle (ER, Logan) as “Sergeant Lasman,” who also serves as an executive producer on the series and directed multiple episodes, Lori Loughlin (Fuller House) as “Lieutenant Bishop,” and Rich Ting as “Sergeant Koyama” (Tulsa King).