Showing posts with label Growing Pains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Growing Pains. Show all posts
Friday, September 16, 2022
The CW's A Waltons Thanksgiving Airs Nov. 20; Rewind TV's A Week of Very Special Episodes Includes Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life and More; Remembering Mark Miller of Please Don't Eat the Daisies
The CW Network announced that the new, original made-for-television movie A Waltons Thanksgiving will premiere Sunday, November 20 (8:00-10:00pm ET/PT). A follow-up to the highly successful The Waltons' Homecoming, the movie reunites the Walton family as they prepare for Thanksgiving in 1934. The Depression has affected everyone, but John Walton (Teddy Sears) has found a way to provide for his family through the farm and by picking up odd jobs from the eccentric Baldwin Sisters. It’s also the time of year for the Annual Harvest Festival Fair, where carnival rides, talent shows and pie contests become the center of attention for the Waltons. As the story unfolds, John Boy (Logan Shroyer) learns the true meaning of taking responsibility, Mary Ellen (Marcelle LeBlanc) comes to understand patience and collaboration, Grandma (Rebecca Koon) finds that winning can be complicated, and Olivia (Bellamy Young) shares her healing heart with every other Walton family member — at a time when each of them need it most. And when a young boy enters the Waltons' world, everyone's life is changed in ways they could never have imagined — transformed forever through love, faith and kindness!
A Waltons Thanksgiving stars Bellamy Young as Olivia, Logan Shroyer as John Boy, Teddy Sears as John Sr., Marcelle LeBlanc as Mary Ellen, Christian Finlayson as Jason, Tatum Matthews as Erin, Samuel Goergen as Jim Bob, Calloway Corrick as Elizabeth, Alpha Trivette as Grandpa Walton, Rebecca Koon as Grandma Walton, with special guest stars Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. Richard Thomas, who originally starred as John Boy Walton in the beloved television series The Waltons, as adult John Boy, who narrates the movie. The television movie is produced by Magnolia Hill Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producer Sam Haskell, writer/co-executive producer Jim Strain, co-executive producer Hudson Hickman, producer Billy Levin, and producer Bobby Kelly. Joe Lazarov is the director/co-executive producer and Grammy® winner Tena Clark is the composer. The Waltons original series was created by Earl Hamner.
Rewind TV will air "A Week of Very Special Episodes" next week (Sept. 19-23). It will be a week of special episodes featuring very tough topics. You can catch these special episodes in all your favorite Rewind TV shows timeslots from 11am-6pm. Shows featured are The Facts of Life, Diff'rent Strokes, Family Ties, The Hogan Family, Growing Pains, Who's the Boss? and Head of the Class. Episodes include Diff'rent Strokes two-part episode "The Bicycle Man," where a neighborhood merchant who is actually a child molester plans to make his move on the unsuspecting Arnold and Dudley; The Facts of Life episode "Fear Strikes Back," where Natalie is attacked while returnign from a party; Family Ties episode "Say Uncle," where Alex discovers Uncle Ned's (Tom Hanks) serious drinking problem, and Who's the Boss? episode "Boozin Buddies," where Tony gets a lesson in peer pressure after Samantha comes home drunk.
Actor Mark Miller, who starred as Jim Nash on Please Don't Eat the Daisies, has died. He died on September 9 of natural causes at his home in Santa Monica, California. Mr. Miller was 97.
Miller's first starring role was as Bill Hooten on the 1960-1961 ABC sitcom Guestward, Ho!. The premise revolves around a New York City family, the Hootens, who tire of the urban lifestyle and relocate to operate a dude ranch in New Mexico. It was based on the 1956 comic memoir of the same title by New Mexico dude ranch operator Barbara "Babs" Hooton, written in cooperation with Auntie Mame author Patrick Dennis. The series also starred Joanne Dru, J. Carrol Naish, Flip Mark, Earle Hodgins, Jolene Brand and Tony Montenaro, Jr.
He starred as English college professor Jim Nash on the 1965-1967 NBC sitcom Please Don't Eat the Daisies. Jim and Joan Nash (Patricia Crowley) are a married couple who live in an old, turreted house in Ridgemont, New York, with their four rambunctious sons (Kyle, Joel, and identical twins Trevor and Tracy), a very tolerant live-in maid, and an enormous Old English sheepdog named Ladadog. The series ran for two seasons and 58 episodes. Miller received an Emmy nomination for writing the 1966 episode "The Magnificent Muldoon," which guest starred Burgess Meredith. The series also starred Kim Tyler, Brian Nash, Joe Fithian, Jeff Fithian, Shirley Mitchell, Harry Hickox (1965-1966), King Donovan (1966-1967), Dub Taylor (1965-1966), Ellen Corby, Bill Quinn (1966-1967) and Jean VanderPyl (1966-1967).
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Stanley, The Andy Griffith Show, The Patty Duke Show, I Dream of Jeannie and That Girl.
Miller guest starred in six episodes of NBC's The Name of the Game from 1969 to 1971. Four of those appearances was as Ross Craig, Glenn Howard's (Gene Barry) other executive assistant. He appeared as Howard Jones in 13 episodes of Bright Promise in 1970. He played J.R. Barnett in 17 episodes of Days of Our Lives from 1975 to 1976.
Some of his other drama guest appearances included I Spy, Gunsmoke, The Millionaire, The Tall Man, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Stoney Burke, Hawaiian Eye, The Twilight Zone, The Invaders, The Smith Family, The F.B.I. (1972), Adam-12, Cannon, Emergency!, Barnaby Jones, Kung Fu, The Waltons, Marcus Welby, M.D. (2 episodes), Harry O and The Streets of San Francisco (2 episodes).
Miller's other writing credits included The Jeffersons, Diff'rent Strokes (3 episodes), Together We Stand (2 episodes), What a Dummy (2 episodes) and The Munsters Today (4 episodes).
He wrote, produced and starred in the 1982 family film Savannah Smiles. It was about two vagabonds named Alvie (Miller) and Boots (Dononvan Scott) who befriend six-year-old Savannah (Bridgette Andersen). He wrote, produced and appeared in the 1974 comedy-drama film Ginger in the Morning, which starred Sissy Spacek. He wrote and starred as Gabe Sweet alongside Slim Pickens in Christmas Mountain: The Story of a Cowboy Angel (1981). Some of his other film credits included Youngblood Hawke (1964), Mr. Sycamore (1975) and Dixie Dynamite (1976).
Survivors include his three daughters Savannah, Penelope Ann (actress) and Marisa and his granddaughters: Amelia, Eloisa, Gretta, Sophie, Maria and Celeste.
Mr. Miller was a talented and versatile actor. He made more than forty appearances in television series and films. Please Don't Eat the Daisies is a wonderful show that should be available on DVD, streaming or aired on a channel. It has been many years since it was last shown in syndication. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us. He will be greatly missed.
Share your memories on our Please Don't Eat the Daisies message board. View photos in our galleries.
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Antenna TV's Companion Network, Rewind TV Launching September 1 with 80s and 90s Series; Remembering Sitcom Writer Bernie Kahn
Nexstar Media Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), announced that it will launch Rewind TV, a digital subchannel offering a slate of classic television sitcom hits from the 1980s and 1990s, on September 1, 2021. We first broke this news a few months ago, but now the official announcement has come with the name of the network and programming info. At its launch, Rewind TV will reach 40 percent of U.S. television households, or nearly 50 million homes, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Rewind TV will be available on newly designated or recently vacated digital subchannels licensed to Nexstar, full details on station carriage will be coming in the coming months.
Rewind TV will air a bunch of series from the Antenna TV library, but they have also acquired some new sitcoms: The Drew Carey Show, Suddenly Susan, Caroline in the City, and The John Larroquette Show. We already announced Caroline in the City is coming in 2021 and vaguely hinted about Suddenly Susan in 2022 (but now both are coming to Rewind instead of Antenna). We also hinted a return for Mad About You, but no word on that one yet. The Drew Carey Show and The John Larroquette Show are totally new and will start in 2022 with Suddenly Susan. Joining Caroline in the City this September on Rewind are Antenna TV faves 227, Becker, Dear John, Designing Women, Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, Family Ties, Growing Pains, Head of the Class, The Hogan Family, Mork & Mindy, Murphy Brown, My Two Dads, NewsRadio, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Who’s the Boss, and Wings all will migrate over to Rewind TV in September. Some of these series are resting a bit right now on Antenna TV, as we mentioned. Nexstar's companion digital network, Antenna TV, will continue to air some of the most popular programming from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, including weeknight reruns of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and sitcoms such as Three's Company, Bewitched and The Jeffersons. Stay tuned for much more information on Rewind TV!
Television writer Bernie Kahn, who worked on The Addams Family, Get Smart, Bewitched and Three's Company, has died. He died on April 21 at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, California. Mr. Kahn was 90.
Kahn's sitcom writing credits in the 1960s included My Favorite Martian, The Smothers Brothers Show (aka My Brother the Angel), My Mother the Car, The Lucy Show, The Addams Family, Petticoat Junction (2 episodes), Hank, Get Smart, Bewitched (15 episodes from 1967 to 1972), Occasional Wife, The Second Hundred Years, The Ugliest Girl in Town and The Courtship of Eddie's Father.
He co-created the short-lived 1978-1979 NBC sitcom Joe & Valerie with Ronald Rubin. Some of his sitcom writing credits in the 1970s included My World and Welcome to It, Nanny and the Professor, Make Room for Granddaddy, The Good Life, Love, American Style (3 episodes), The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Room 222 (2 episodes), The Paul Lynde Show, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Maude, Chico and the Man, Viva Valdez (2 episodes), The Practice (3 episodes), Tabitha (also an executive story consultant), Three's Company, The Love Boat and Brothers and Sisters.
Kahn received two Writers Guild Award nominations for Episodic Comedy for Get Smart in 1968 and My World and Welcome to It in 1971.
He co-wrote the 1971 Disney television movie The Barefoot Executive with Joseph McEveety, Lila Garrett and Stu Billett. He wrote the 1985 comedy film Basic Training.
Survivors include his wife, Elinor Berger; three daughters; two step-children; and five grandchildren.
Mr. Kahn penned more than 100 episodes of television series during his career, which spanned from the 1960s to the 1990s. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us. He will be greatly missed.
Monday, September 21, 2020
Antenna TV Fall 2020 Schedule, with 2021 Teases; 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards Winners
Antenna TV starts their Fall 2020 lineup on Monday, October 5 with its newest addition, Who's the Boss? airing weeknights from 5-6pm. It will replace Gimme a Break! on the weekday lineup, but that series will remain airing on weekend afternoons from 2-3pm. Growing Pains returns to the weeknight lineup airing 6-7pm, replacing Barney Miller, which will now air just Sunday nights from 3-4am. Back to Who's the Boss?, it will also air Sunday nights in primetime from 8-9pm leading into Growing Pains again from 9-10pm. Among the other schedule changes are the returns of Head of the Class (Sat 10-11am/Sun 11am-12pm) and My Two Dads (Sunday nights 4-5am), along with a second hour of Soap on Sunday mornings now from 6-8am (this means Three's a Crowd and The Ropers are off the lineup). Wings moves back to weeknights after Coach at 1am every weeknight. View the other schedule changes here.
Stunts in October are two 70th anniversary marathons and a Halloween marathon! Burns and Allen 70th Anniversary Marathon airs on Saturday, October 10 from 10AM until Sunday, October 11 at 9PM with 70 episodes of the series. The Jack Benny 70th Anniversary Marathon airs two weeks later on Saturday, October 24 from 10AM until Sunday, October 25 at 9PM, with 70 episodes of The Jack Benny Program. And the final stunt in October is the "Witch-O-Ween Bewitched Halloween Marathon" on Saturday, October 31 from 10AM to 5AM, with 40 episodes of Bewitched. Episode details for all three stunts are still to come.
November and December holiday season stunts will be announced at a later date. We do want to tease you of some returns in 2021. Both One Day at a Time (the original '70s series, of course) and The Jeffersons return to Antenna TV right at the start of 2021 on January 1. Both series premiered together on Antenna TV in spring 2015 and aired until the end of 2017. The Jeffersons then moved to MeTV in 2018 (and for now airs on sister network Decades), but now is now returning to Antenna TV! And finally, a brand new acquisition for Antenna TV sometime in 2021 will be Caroline in the City - the '90s Lea Thompson sitcom that originally aired on NBC. Much more details are to come, so stay tuned. But for now, Antenna TV's Fall 2020 schedule with Who's the Boss? starts Oct. 5.
The Television Academy celebrated the 72nd Emmy® Awards last night, recognizing excellence in primetime programming and individual achievement for the
2019-2020 television season. The 72nd Emmy® Awards were broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on ABC, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and produced by Done+Dusted, Reginald Hudlin and KIMMELOT. The telecast featured awards in 23 Emmy categories, plus the Governors Award, presented by top talent from some of television's most acclaimed programs. Presenters and surprise guests included Anthony Anderson, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Ty Burrell, LaVerne Cox, America Ferrera, Morgan Freeman, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson, Ken Jeong, Mindy Kaling, Tatiana Maslany, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bob Newhart, D-Nice, Randall Park, Issa Rae, RuPaul, Jason Sudeikis, Gabrielle Union, Lena Waithe, J.J. Watt and Oprah Winfrey. Singer-songwriter and GRAMMY®-winning artist H.E.R. made her Emmy® debut with a special "In Memoriam" performance honoring all the stars we lost this year such as Regis Philbin, Diahann Carroll and Chadwick Boseman.
Among the big winners were Watchmen with 11 wins, Schitt's Creek with 9 wins, Succession with 7 wins and The Mandalorian with 7 wins. Daniel Levy of Schitt's Creek won 4 awards for Director, Executive Producer, Performer and Writer! Schitt's Creek swept the entire major comedy categories with Lead Actor, Lead Actress, Writing, Directing, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress and Outstanding Comedy! View the complete list of winners.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
TCA Winter 2020 Press Tour: Cable Day 1 - Comedy Central, Amazon, Paramount Network and More!
Comedy Central announced an overall deal with Daniel Tosh that includes a four-season, 80-episode extension for Tosh.0, as well as a first-look deal for new scripted and unscripted development to potentially feature Tosh on camera, as well as vehicles for other talent. The #1 brand in comedy and Tosh are currently in discussions for an unscripted series in which Tosh would host and executive produce and a script deal for which he would serve as an executive producer. The four-season extension of Tosh.0 will take the long-running franchise through its 16th season. In addition, Comedy Central will launch a dedicated Tosh.0 channel on YouTube in early 2020 and launched a Tosh.0 channel on Pluto TV, the leading free streaming television service in the U.S. Comedy Central announced a season two pickup for the highly-anticipated Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, ahead of its series premiere on Wednesday, January 22 at 10:30pm ET/PT. Golden Globe winner Awkwafina (The Farewell, Crazy Rich Asians) stars in the half-hour scripted comedy inspired by her real-life growing up in Queens, NY. Raised by her Dad (BD Wong) and Grandma (Lori Tan Chinn) alongside her cousin (Bowen Yang), Nora Lin leans on her family as she navigates life and young adulthood in outer borough-NYC.
The treasured television show The Brady Bunch has entertained audiences for more than 50 years and the show's matriarch Carol Brady, played by Florence Henderson, led the loving Brady family. Henderson's passing in 2016 left millions of fans in mourning spawning questions about her health after reports that she died of sudden heart failure. On Sunday, February 16 the network goes inside The Brady Bunch and the life of its star mother starting at 8pm ET/5pm PT with Autopsy: The Last Hours of Florence Henderson examining her final hours and uncovering the truth behind her abrupt passing. Then on Sunday, February 16 at 9pm ET/6pm PT The Brady Bunch: Behind Closed Doors pulls back the curtain on the beloved small screen classic revealing how the show almost never got made as former cast members including Christopher Knight who played middle son Peter Brady spills secrets from the set. Celebrity Sundays on REELZ continue with a new episode of Autopsy: The Last Hours of Alan Thicke on Sunday, February 23 at 8pm ET/5pm PT with a look at the life one of America's favorite TV dads (Growing Pains) and his untimely passing.
Paramount Network ordered a first season of scripted drama Mayor of Kingstown from critically acclaimed, Oscar(R)-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of the brand's hit series Yellowstone, and from 101 Studios. Moving on to Amazon, Amazon Studios announced that Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Quantico) and Richard Madden (Bodyguard) will star in Citadel, the new multi-layered global series from the Russo Brothers' AGBO. Amazon also announced that a local language production of the franchise will originate from Mexico, in addition to the previously announced versions in Italy and India. Madden and Chopra will star in the U.S. "mothership" edition of the series. Amazon Studios announced that Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Jerrie Johnson and Shoniqua Shandai will star in Untitled Tracy Oliver Project. The half-hour comedy series from Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip), Universal Television, and Amy Poehler's Paper Kite Productions will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Amazon Studios additionally announced that Malcolm D. Lee (Girls Trip, The Best Man Holiday) will direct the first two episodes.
Amazon Studios announced that it has greenlit Jack Reacher, a drama based on the character from Lee Child's international bestselling series of books, which is published in 49 languages and 101 territories and has sold 100 million books to date. The first season will be based on the first Jack Reacher novel, "The Killing Floor." Amazon Studios has announced further casting for The Power, an urgent 10-part global thriller based on the international bestselling novel of the same name, produced by Sister (Chernobyl, Giri/Haji, The Split) for Amazon Studios with Emmy Award-winning executive producer and director Reed Morano (The Handmaid's Tale). The Power is adapted for screen by writer, creator and executive producer Naomi Alderman, who is working alongside an all-female writers' room, with every episode also to be directed by women. John Leguizamo, Toheeb Jimoh, Ria Zmitrowicz, Halle Bush, Heather Agyepong, Nico Hiraga and Daniela Vega are amongst the ensemble cast, joining the previously announced Leslie Mann and Auli'i Cravalho. Amazon Studios announced the first group of series regulars set to star in the new Amazon Original series based on stories from the iconic The Lord of the Rings novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. Newly revealed cast members including Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, and Daniel Weyman. Production will begin in February.
And finally, Amazon Original series Making The Cut, hosted and executive produced by Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, will premiere on Prime Video on Friday March 27, 2020. The 10-episode fashion competition series, which brings together a diverse group of 12 talented entrepreneurs and designers, will premiere two new episodes each week, culminating in an epic finale on April 24, 2020
Monday, November 05, 2018
Antenna TV's Growing Pains Thanksgiving Series Marathon; Hulu Nabs King of the Hill and Exclusive Rights for Other Series
Show me that smile again! This Thanksgiving, share the laughter and love with the Seaver family as Antenna TV airs the "All of Growing Pains Thanksgiving Weekend Marathon." Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast network, will air all 7 seasons (166 episodes) of Growing Pains on Thanksgiving weekend. The popular family sitcom that ran from 1985 to 1992 on ABC starring Alan Thicke, Kirk Cameron and later Leonardo DiCaprio, begins with season 1/episode 1 at 8pm ET on Wednesday, November 21 and runs through 8pm ET on Sunday, November 25, 2018 with the series' final episode. Antenna TV regularly airs Growing Pains weeknights 1:30am ET/10:30pm PT and Weekends 3:30pm ET/12:30pm PT.
Calling all fans of Hank, Peggy, Bobby and Luanne: Beginning today, Hulu is the exclusive streaming home to every episode of Emmy Award-winning animated series King of The Hill! In a deal that further expands its licensing agreement with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution and cements Hulu as the leading destination for premium animated series, Hulu has added all 13 seasons of King of The Hill exclusively to its service. In addition, the company has locked in the exclusive post-broadcast streaming rights to Emmy-winning comedies Bob's Burgers and Family Guy, as well as American Dad!, and all episodes of library series The Cleveland Show and Emmy-winning Futurama.
Over the past few years, Hulu has struck multiple licensing agreements to build out the best and most comprehensive collection of animated comedies available through a streaming service. Hulu offers thousands of episodes of premium animated content and is now the exclusive subscription streaming home to the largest offering of animated programming from 20th Century Fox Television, as well as hits from other content partners including South Park, Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken, Adventure Time and more. Hulu is also the exclusive post-broadcast streaming home to a full suite of programming from Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution series, including drama series The Orville, The Gifted, The Resident, as well as hits Empire, The Last Man on Earth, and more.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Antenna TV January 2018 Schedule Includes Gimme a Break! and Coach; Pop Launches Wednesday Comedies in January
Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast network, announced the addition of two classic sitcoms to the network's lineup. Coach and Gimme a Break! will join Antenna TV beginning January 2, 2018. Coach, starring Craig T. Nelson as college football head coach Hayden Fox, will air weekdays at 11pm ET and weekends at 4:30pm ET. Gimme a Break!, starring Nell Carter as Nell Harper, the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters, will air weekdays at 4pm ET and Sundays at 7:30am and 3:30pm ET. Antenna TV, which airs in 131 TV markets across the U.S. reaching 86% of TV households, continues to aggressively invest in programming acquisitions. Earlier this year, Antenna TV added Welcome Back, Kotter, with Alice, Benson, Soap, Growing Pains, Silver Spoons, Head of the Class, Murphy Brown and The Hogan Family being added to its 2018 lineup. All join the lineup beginning Monday, January 2. In addition, The Jack Benny Program and McHale's Navy are returning to the schedule. With all these additions and returning series, the following shows will be off the line-up: Newhart, Dear John, The Patty Duke Show, Green Acres, The Jeffersons, All in the Family, One Day at a Time, Gidget, The Flying Nun, It's About Time, Good Times, Sanford & Son, The Addams Family and The Monkees.
Coach will launch with a New Year's Day marathon, as more info on that is to come. The new weekday schedule beginning Jan. 2 is all about similar pairings. Alice airs weekdays at 1pm and paired with Maude. Head of the Class is being paired with Welcome Back Kotter from 2-3pm, Gimme a Break! being paired with Webster, The Hogan Family being paired with Mr. Belvedere, Silver Spoons with My Two Dads, while Growing Pains and Family Ties join forces. In primetime, Three's Company and Soap are paired, while Benson and Wings follow. Murphy Brown airs at 10pm leading into Becker. And Coach at 11pm leading into Johnny Carson's new timeslot of 11:30pm, head-to-head vs. all the late night shows now (watch out ABC, NBC and CBS!). View the full Antenna TV January 2018 schedule with all of these new additions!
Put on those Rose-colored glasses and prepare to laugh through the winter blues with two scripted comedies on Pop that prove (dysfunctional) families rule. Starting Jan. 24, 2018, Wednesday nights on Pop will feature back-to-back comedies, including the critically acclaimed fan favorite Schitt's Creek at 8:00 and 11:00 PM, ET/PT, followed by the original series premiere of Let's Get Physical at 8:30 and 11:30 PM, ET/PT. Pop's Wednesday night comedies boast Emmy(R) Award-winning talent and all-star casts, including Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Daniel Levy and Annie Murphy returning as the Rose family in season four of Schitt's Creek, and Jane Seymour (Wedding Crashers), Matt Jones (Breaking Bad), Chris Diamantopoulos (Episodes) and AnnaLynne McCord (90210) in the new Let's Get Physical.
As season four of Schitt's Creek begins, it seems the Roses have somewhat adjusted to the simple life in Schitt's Creek, the town that was once a thorn in their side. The family continues to lay down roots in pursuit of love, business and higher education. But of course, what would life for the Roses be without a little self-inflicted crazy? Series co-creators Eugene and Daniel Levy continue as executive producers. Let's Get Physical is a modern-day comedy capturing the zeitgeist of 1980s aerobics. The series revolves around middle-aged slacker Joe Force (Matt Jones), who makes a reluctant comeback in the fitness industry after his dad, the "Godfather of Aerobics," unexpectedly passes away and wills Joe the broke-down family gym with eccentric provisions attached to get his actual fortune and estate. Janet Force (Jane Seymour) is Joe's mom, who takes the reins of the family business in order to maintain their legacy and uses information and manipulation to guarantee that things go her way. Upon coming home, Joe faces his rival, Barry Cross (Chris Diamantopoulos), and his teenage love, Claudia (AnnaLynne McCord), who is now Barry's wife.
Tuesday, November 07, 2017
Antenna TV Holiday 2017 Schedule, Includes Christmas; HBO Returns Two Comedies in January
Spend the holidays with your favorite sitcom stars as Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast broadcast network airing in 131 TV markets across the US, reaching 86% of TV households, airs holiday episodes and themed marathons throughout the season. Each Saturday night in December (Dec. 2, 9 and 16) leading up to Christmas weekend, Antenna TV presents "Merry & Bright Saturday Night," a primetime block of holiday-themed episodes featuring old favorites and new Antenna TV shows from 7-10pm ET. Along with classic Christmas episodes from All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons and Welcome Back, Kotter, viewers will get a sneak peek at some of the funny and bright new shows coming to Antenna TV in 2018, including holiday episodes from Alice, Growing Pains, The Hogan Family, Head of the Class and Murphy Brown.
Then from Dec. 23-25, snuggle up with a cup of hot cocoa and your TV remote, Antenna TV is bringing you three full days of classic TV shows celebrating the holiday season. It all starts at 1pm [ET] on Saturday, December 23 with "Christmas Through the Years," where you can see a holiday episode from Antenna TV's library of shows in chronological order from 1954 to 2002. Then at 2:30pm [ET] on Sunday, December 24 and continuing through Christmas Day, viewers can watch a "Classic Christmas Collection," featuring many more of Antenna TV's classic holiday episodes. Included in the collection will be the 1951 film classic, A Christmas Carol, 12am ET and the overnight television tradition of the Yule Log, 5am ET which features a crackling fireplace and soothing Christmas music. Make Antenna TV your home for the holidays! Stay with us VERY soon for the January 2018 schedule!
Two series are coming back to HBO this winter. The HBO comedy series Divorce and Crashing will return with back-to-back season premieres Sunday, Jan. 14, starting at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Divorce, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, kicks off its eight-episode season Sunday, Jan. 14 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Season two finds Frances (Parker) and her ex-husband, Robert (Thomas Haden Church), dealing with the aftermath of their explosive separation and learning to rebuild their lives. The show also stars Molly Shannon, Talia Balsam, Tracy Letts, Sterling Jerins and Charlie Kilgore. The series was created by Sharon Horgan; season two is executive produced by Jenny Bicks, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alison Benson, Sharon Horgan and Aaron Kaplan. Jenny Bicks serves as showrunner.
Crashing, created by and starring Pete Holmes, returns for its eight-episode second season Sunday, Jan. 14 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. Feeling lost in the universe, Pete (Holmes) has an enlightening conversation with an atheist, which sends him into a night of New York debauchery. This marks the beginning of a new season in which Pete starts to question his faith and find his voice. The series is executive produced by Pete Holmes, Judd Apatow and Judah Miller; co-executive producer, Igor Srubshchik; supervising producer, Oren Brimer; producers, Josh Church and Dave Rath.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Antenna TV to Add 9 Sitcoms for Fall 2017; MeTV and Decades Remembers Martin Landau
Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast network, announced the addition of nine classic series to the network's lineup. Antenna TV, which airs in 132 TV markets across the U.S. reaching 88% of TV households, continues to aggressively invest in programming acquisitions and will be adding Welcome Back, Kotter (as we recently mentioned), Alice, Benson, Soap, Growing Pains, Silver Spoons, Head of the Class, Murphy Brown and The Hogan Family to its lineup beginning in fourth quarter of 2017. Yes, Benson, Soap and Silver Spoons are new announcements, as the others were announced a while back. Still no exact premiere dates and times yet for these 9 series, as they will be rolled out between September and December. Stay with us for continued updates!
MeTV will honor the life and legacy of actor Martin Landau by presenting his performances in 11 different timeless and memorable television series, including a special airing of his signature series Mission: Impossible. MeTV will broadcast 11 hours of TV shows featuring his performances. The tribute "MeTV Remembers Martin Landau" begins this Saturday, July 22, at 10:00am ET/PT with his appearance in an episode of Maverick. A tribute presentation of Mission: Impossible will air at Midnight ET/PT. The event concludes with Outer Limits at 2:00am ET/PT on Sunday, July 23. All shows air in their regularly scheduled time periods, except Mission: Impossible, which is a one-time presentation.
Meanwhile, DECADES Network remembers actor Martin Landau in his iconic role as Rollin Hand on Mission: Impossible this week on the "DECADES Weekend Binge." As a tribute to the great talent that was Martin Landau, DECADES will air back-to-back episodes of the classic Mission: Impossible television series starting with the original pilot at 1:00pm ET/PT on Saturday, July 22, continuing all day Sunday, July 23, and concluding at 6:30am ET/PT on Monday, July 24.
Monday, January 02, 2017
My Two Dads Joins UP TV; Remembering M*A*S*H Star William Christopher
My Two Dads has also joined UP TV effective today (Monday, Jan. 2). The sitcom also joins Antenna TV this weekend as we mentioned, airing Sunday nights at 11pm & 11:30pm. UP TV is airing it weekdays at 7:00am & 7:30am, right before Growing Pains at 8:00am. In the sitcom, Joey and Michael (Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan), who fought over the same woman 13 years ago now have, upon her death, been awarded joint custody of her daughter (Staci Keanan) – who might be either of theirs. So how do the men settle their problems? With a paternity test? No way. Instead, they all move in together to raise Nicole as a two-dad nuclear family. Under the watchful eye of the family court judge, dads and daughter adjust to their new family situation. My Two Dads originally aired from 1987-90 on NBC with 60 episodes and starred Staci Keanan, Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan. The sitcom has not aired in reruns since the early 2000s when USA Network aired the series. The sitcom joins UP TV's family line-up of Growing Pains, 7th Heaven, Parenthood, Everybody Hates Chris and more. UP TV: We Get Family!
Actor William Christopher, who was best known for playing Father Mulcahy in M*A*S*H, has died. He died at his home in Pasadena, California on December 31, 2016, from small-cell carcinoma. Mr. Christopher was 84.
Christopher's early sitcom guest appearances included Hank, The Patty Duke Show, The Andy Griffith Show (2 episodes) and Hogan's Heroes (4 episodes). He appeared in the drama 12 O'Clock High and western Death Valley Days.
He had a recurring role as Pvt. Lester Hummel in 16 episodes of the CBS sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. from 1965-1968. He guest starred in two episodes of That Girl as Chippy Dolan in 1969-1970.
Christopher starred as Father Francis Mulcahy in the CBS sitcom M*A*S*H, which aired from 1972-1983. He began appearing in the second episode, as George Morgan played the character in the pilot episode. He was a recurring character for seasons 1-4 and a series regular for seasons 5-11. Father Mulcahy was a Roman Catholic priest, and served as a US Army chaplain assigned to the 4077th. He was a First Lieutenant (O-2) and later was promoted to a Captain (O-3) U.S.A.R.. Christopher was interviewed for Memories of M*A*S*H in 2001, M*A*S*H: TV Tales in 2002 and the M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion in 2002.
He was joined by M*A*S*H cast members Harry Morgan (Col. Sherman Potter) and Jamie Farr (Max Klinger) in the spin-off series AfterMASH, which aired for two seasons on CBS from 1983-1984. The series also starred Barbara Townsend, Anne Pitoniak, Rosalind Chao, John Chappell, Peter Michael Goetz, Jay O. Sanders, Brandis Kemp and David Ackroyd.
Some of this other sitcom guest appearances included Karen, Good Times, The Love Boat, The New WKRP in Cincinnati and Mad About You. He guest starred as a murderous bird watcher named Burton Hollis in a 1985 episode of Murder, She Wrote. Some of his other drama guest appearances included The Virginian, Alias Smith and Jones, Nichols, Columbo, Movin' On, Lucas Tanner, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Team Knight Rider. He had a recurring role as Father Tobias in 11 episodes of Days of Our Lives in 2011.
Survivors include his wife of more than 50 years, Barbara, and sons John and Ned.
Mr. Christopher was wonderful as Father Mulcahy. He was one of the most underrated characters in the series. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us over the years. He will be greatly missed.
Share your memories on our M*A*S*H message board. View photos in our galleries.
View our tribute to the Sitcom Stars We Lost in 2016.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Remembering Alan Thicke; IFC Picks Up Stan Against Evil for 2nd Season
Canadian actor, composer, and game and talk show host Alan Thicke, who was best known for his role as Jason Seaver in Growing Pains, has died. He collapsed while playing hockey with his son Carter on December 13, 2016. He subsequently died of type-A aortic dissection at the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. Mr. Thicke was 69.
Thicke played Dr. Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist and father, in the ABC sitcom Growing Pains. The popular series ran for seven seasons and 166 episodes from 1985 to 1992. It starred Joanna Kerns, Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, Jeremy Miller, Ashley Johnson (1990-1992) and Leonardo DiCaprio (1991-1992). Thicke received a Golden Globe Award nomination in 1988 for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical. The cast reunited for The Growing Pains Movie in 2000, followed by Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers in 2004.
He starred as Dennis Dupree in the 1995-1996 NBC sitcom Hope & Gloria. He played the vain, egocentric host of the local Pittsburgh The Dennis Dupree Show. The series starred Cynthia Stevenson, Jessica Lundy, Robert Garrova, Enrico Colantoni and Taylor Negron.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Married with Children, Arli$$, My Wife and Kids, Yes, Dear, Half & Half, Joey, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, About a Girl, 'Til Death, I'm in the Band, How I Met Your Mother, Grandfathered and Fuller House.
He also worked as a TV theme composer. Thicke collaborated with his first wife Gloria Loring on the themes to Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. He also wrote many game show themes, including The Wizard of Odds, The Joker's Wild, Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Diamond Head Game, Animal Crack-Ups (which he also hosted), Blank Check, Stumpers!, Whew! and the original theme to Wheel of Fortune.
Thicke worked early in his career as a talk show host. He hosted the Canadian daytime talk show The Alan Thicke Show from 1980-1982. He later hosted the American syndicated late night talk show Thicke of the Night, which aired for one season from 1983-1984.
He hosted the Canadian game show First Impressions in the 1970s. He hosted Animal Crack-Ups on ABC for three seasons from 1987-1990. In 1997, he hosted the syndicated Pictionary. He hosted the All New 3's a Crowd on the Game Show Network in the early 2000s. Thicke hosted two other series focusing on animals with Animals Are People, Too in 1999 and Miracle Pets from 2000-2005 on PAX
Thicke had recently been starring in the Pop mockumentary/reality-sitcom hybrid series Unusually Thicke. It presented a fictionalized portrayal of his family life. The cast included his wife Tanya Callau and son Carter, with some appearances by his sons Brennan and Robin.
Survivors include his wife Tanya Callau and sons Brennan, Carter and singer Robin.
Mr. Thicke was a man of many talents. Jason Seaver was one of the best TV dads of the 1980s. He was perfect in the role. We thank him for the entertainment and laughter he brought us. Thanks to him for showing us his smile. He will be greatly missed.
Share your memories on our Growing Pains message board. View photos in our galleries.
IFC announced that horror-comedy series Stan Against Evil has been picked up for a second season slated to air in 2017. Created by Dana Gould (The Simpsons, Parks and Recreation) and starring John C. McGinley (Scrubs) and Janet Varney (You're The Worst), Stan Against Evil debuted Halloween week to strong numbers and critical acclaim. Season 1 concluded in November with Sheriff Evie Barret (Varney) stranded in the past and about to be burned at the stake, accused of being a witch. Stan Against Evil is one of IFC's most successful original series launches to date. The show demonstrated steady weekly audience growth across its first season and also saw significant time-shifted viewing, with total viewers and adults 18-49 more than doubling within seven days of each new episode premiere, notable for a new series.
Stan Against Evil follows Stan Miller (McGinley), a perpetually disgruntled former sheriff of a small New England town who was forced into retirement. Stan has trouble relinquishing his authority to Evie Barret (Varney), the tough and beautiful new sheriff in town, but they form an unlikely alliance when both begin to realize things are not quite right in their quaint New England town. Together, they valiantly fight a plague of unleashed demons that have been haunting the town, which just happens to be built on the site of a massive 17th century witch burning.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Antenna TV Adds 9 Sitcoms in 2017; Holy Spanish, Batman! '60s Classic Coming to TeleXitos
We hinted that Antenna TV was going to add a bunch of shows and even named a few, now the announcement is here for most! Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast network continues to invest in programming and will add nine new programs to its schedule in 2017. Antenna TV currently airs in 131 TV markets across the U.S. reaching 87% of TV households. In January 2017, Becker, What's Happening!! and My Two Dads will begin their run on Antenna TV, while Alice, Growing Pains, 227, The Hogan Family, Head of the Class and Murphy Brown will join the network during the year. In 2016, Antenna TV brought Johnny Carson back to late night with a 60-minute classic Carson episodes airing weeknights and a 90-minute episode on weekends, marking the first time Carson is airing in strip since he signed off in 1992. This year, the network also added Webster, Wings and The Addams Family, which launched on September 12.
Alice, Murphy Brown, Growing Pains, Head of the Class, and The Hogan Family join Antenna TV from Warner Bros., Becker joins from CBS, 227, My Two Dads and What's Happening!! join the network from Sony.
TeleXitos, the first-of-its-kind multicast channel for Spanish-language viewers that seek action adventure en Español, announced the network has the rights to air the iconic 1960's television series, Batman, in Spanish. Viewers in the United States will now be able to watch the 120-episode series in Spanish and without subtitles. TeleXitos will kick-off the Batman series premiere with a weekend marathon that will begin on Saturday, September 17 at 1 PM ET / 12 CT. To view a promo of the series in Spanish, click here. Batman, the 1960's television show that was based on DC Comics characters, first aired in the United States on January 12, 1966 on ABC. The fan-favorite series that featured the caped crusader duo, Bruce Wayne as Batman and Dick Grayson as Robin, alongside a cast of supervillains including the Joker, the Penguin, Riddler and Catwoman among others, took the country by storm and spurred a "Batmania" phenomenon. To date, Batman and its legendary onomatopoeia graphics, remains a beloved classic.
To commemorate TeleXitos' debut of Batman and celebrate DC Comics' "Batman Day 2016" on September 17, the network will also offer viewers an opportunity to access special Batman-themed trivia in Spanish on its digital and social media platforms. Viewers can visit TeleXitos.com, as well as the network;s Facebook page at Facebook.com/TeleXitos or its Twitter page at @TeleXitos and use the hashtag #BatmanEnTeleXitos, to access the specially-curated digital content and keep up with the network's Batman debut.
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
Season 2 of Unusually Thicke Brings Out the Stars; TV Land to Shoot Pilot for Heathers
Alan Thicke and his family blur the lines of reality television and sitcom on season two of Unusually Thicke returning on Pop Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 9:00 PM, ET/PT. Between his fiery, much younger Latina wife Tanya and his three sons - teenaged Carter, pop star Robin and marijuana dispensary owner Brennan - Alan has his work cut out for him as a father, husband and Hollywood actor, writer and icon. Pop will air back-to-back half-hour episodes of Unusually Thicke every week for the show's 14-episode season. Buzzworthy storylines are peppered with cameo appearances by an eclectic group of Alan's celebrity friends, ranging from Russell Peters and Cedric the Entertainer to Lance Bass, Kato Kaelin, Jon Dore, Alex Trebek, Cat Cora, Lou Ferrigno, Gilbert Gottfried, Dave Foley, Wayne Brady and Alan's son, Robin Thicke. If you didn't know, the series is a reality sitcom starring the real life modern family - Alan Thicke (Growing Pains), along with his sassy wife Tanya and fun-loving teenage son Carter - will return on Pop on Sept. 21.
After announcing a script deal in March, TV Land has greenlit the pilot for Heathers, based on the 1988 cult classic film of the same name. Leslye Headland (Sleeping with Other People, Bachelorette) will direct the pitch-black comedy. Reimagined as an anthology, Heathers will be set in the present day, as our heroine deals with a very different but equally vicious group of Heathers. The script is written by Jason Micallef (Butter), and Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi will executive produce for Lakeshore Entertainment. Dating a murderous psychopath and figuring out what to wear to your best friend's suicide are typical teen problems for Veronica Sawyer.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
SitcomsOnline Digest: Mid-Season Debut Dates Set; New Family Matters and Growing Pains DVDs Ahead From Warner Archive
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Christmas has come and gone, which means that next week it'll be a whole new year. But before this year is done, we've got a list of when all of your favorite series will return next year, news of some new Warner Archive releases of some classic sitcoms... and Sarah Palin playing Tina Fey in 30 Rock parody? Seriously? You betcha! Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- In recent years, mid-season has become almost as big of a deal (if not a bigger deal, since it tends to give series an opportunity to thrive with less competition) as the beginning of the fall season. Deadline has all of the dates you need to know for when your favorite series returns, along with debut dates for new series. (Deadline)
- Tina Fey has been playing the role of Sarah Palin off and on for the past seven years, but now, Sarah Palin has decided to play Tina Fey as Lynn Melon in 31 Rock (as well as John McCain playing a character similar to Alec Baldwin's Jack Donaghy), a spoof of 30 Rock. (Rolling Stone)
- As it turns out, there will a well-known (and current) pop star voice behind the theme song for the upcoming series Fuller House: Carly Rae Jepsen. (Billboard)
- We suggest avoiding clicking on the article if you want to avoid a spoiler, but The Big Bang Theory is still managing to set records when it comes to ratings. (CinemaBlend)
- ... but how much longer can The Big Bang Theory continue to set records? While the series is a hit and there are no signs of audiences going away, showrunner Steve Molaro says there is only so much more that they can do with the series, and suggested that it is possible next year's tenth season could be the last unless they can come up with new ideas to naturally move the story along (to be clear, we wouldn't start writing the obituary yet). (Vulture)
- In a very pleasant Easter (sorry, Christmas) weekend surprise for Steve Harvey, it seems that flubbing the announcement of the winner of the Miss Universe Pageant has given the pageant attention that it has perhaps never seen, and also made the organizers want to keep him around for a few years. (New York Daily News)
- As a reminder, Syfy will be going big with their annual Twilight Zone marathon that starts on Tuesday evening, airing the entire series (including episodes that haven't aired on TV in decades) in HD. (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- TVShowsOnDVD.com had an exclusive this week, announcing that Family Matters will be moving forward on DVD after a bit of a break, but it will now be coming from Warner Archive. According to their information, Family Matters - The Complete Fifth Season will arrive on February 16.
- It looks like Warner Archive will also be wrapping up Growing Pains on January 12, with the release of Growing Pains - The Complete Seventh Season (i.e. the Leonardo DiCaprio season).
TUESDAY (DECEMBER 29) HOME MEDIA RELEASES
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Eva Longoria (Twitter), "Actress, Producer, Director, Activist, Philanthropist, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Friend, HUMAN!"
Claim to Fame: Eva Longoria got her start in beauty pageants, but it didn't take long for it to be seen that she had the potential to be an actress. Her first TV role was as a flight attendant in a final season episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, and she quickly became a soap star on The Young and the Restless. From there, she went on to star in the short-lived 2003-2004 Dragnet. Her biggest claim to fame came in 2004, though, when she was cast as Gabrielle Solis in Desperate Housewives. She then went on to serve as executive producer in Devious Maids. Now, with all of this "soap opera" experience behind her, she is ready to move on to a new role in a sitcom... a sitcom that is all about being a telenovela star who can't speak a word of Spanish, NBC's upcoming series (which already had a preview debut), Telenovela.
Pick of the Tweets: "Merry Christmas everyone! Santa is here!!! (pic)" (December 25, 2015)
Saturday, October 03, 2015
SitcomsOnline Digest: Tina Fey and Robert Carlock Comedy Gets CBS Commitment; Growing Pains and The Middle DVD Release Dates Set
Welcome to
SitcomsOnline Digest! As the fall season has fully arrived now, everything is getting back to business as usual at the broadcast networks (of course, cable and streaming doesn't know the seasons), and this week, we've got news of yet another Tina Fey and Robert Carlock comedy project (this time at CBS though), a reboot of MacGyver, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- Tina Fey and Robert Carlock have managed to have a perfect record in bringing hilarious comedies to television (or Netflix) so far, and now they'll be joining Jack Burditt for yet another project on CBS. But this time, it will be a multi-camera. (Deadline)
- Reboots are everywhere, and this time it is MacGyver. (Hollywood Reporter)
- Meanwhile, a popular comedy from the US is getting a reboot (but only in Russia): Roseanne. (Deadline)
- The Splat is coming, although it is really just an expansion and retooling of the previously existing The '90s Are All That block. (SitcomsOnline)
- The digital broadcast network getTV is adding class talk shows, including The Judy Garland Show and The Merv Griffin Show, to their lineup. (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- It looks as if Growing Pains - The Complete Sixth Season may be coming sooner than anticipated, with a release date of October 20 now showing.
- Another Warner Archive favorite, The Middle, is set to continue on DVD on October 27 with the release of The Middle - The Complete Fifth Season.
- Family Guy - Season Thirteen has been confirmed by Fox for a December 8 release.
OCTOBER 6 HOME MEDIA RELEASES
- Bewitched - The Complete Series (DVD, $55.99): It's not the first time that it has arrived on DVD, but the complete series of the classic series returns to DVD again with this release.
- Grace Under Fire - The Complete Collection (DVD, $199.99): The Brett Butler series was scheduled to be released on DVD almost a decade ago by another studio and was scrapped, never to be heard from again... until now.
- I Dream of Jeannie - The Complete Series (DVD, $44.98): This set is another complete series re-release from Mill Creek.
- South Park - The Complete Eighteenth Season (DVD, $29.99; Blu-ray, $39.99): The foul-mouthed fourth-graders (they're still there?) return to DVD in this release.
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Ken Jeong (Twitter)
Claim to Fame: Ken Jeong used to be a doctor, and now he just plays one on television. He was born in Detroit in 1969, and in 1995, he received his MD. While he was completing his residency, he dabbled a bit in stand-up comedy, and moved to Los Angeles at the urging of former NBC president Brandon Tartikoff. At first, he continued his medical career, but his acting career soon began to take over. His first regular television role came with his role as Señor Ben Chang, the Spanish teacher, on the NBC comedy Community, and last night, his new ABC series Dr. Ken debuted.
Pick of the Tweets: "#DrKen and next 6 episodes are even better the pilot!!! We won't let you down." (October 2, 2015)
Saturday, September 26, 2015
SitcomsOnline Digest: Hulu Gets The Goldbergs; The A-Team Ready for a Reboot?; More Growing Pains to Arrive on DVD
Welcome to
SitcomsOnline Digest! Fall is here, and so is the fall season, with many shows having already started this week and even more to come next week. But here, we've got all of your news and updates, including news of The Goldbergs on Hulu, a reboot of The A-Team, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- Acquisition deals used to be about which cable network gets the rights to a TV series, but these days, they are more about which streaming service gets the rights to a series. This week, Hulu got the rights to The Goldbergs. (Hollywood Reporter)
- What would Married... With Children look like if it happened to be in a mashup with Dexter? James Franco gives us an idea in his AOL series Making a Scene. (Huffington Post)
- It is somewhat intriguing that with all of the remakes that exist in the world, it took us until now to even think about a remake of The A-Team. (Deadline)
- It wouldn't be surprising if you haven't heard of the Fox comedy Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life, and that is because it is a midseason series that has yet to air, but apparently Fox executives were impressed enough to order seven additional episodes. (Deadline)
- Pilot season is usually the most boring time of the year for TV fans, as network executives comb through what they think viewers would like to see on the air (perhaps dismissing some series that may have been huge hits), but Amazon does things a bit different, of course, and their pilot season gets the viewers involved... and it is coming up again soon. (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Warner Archive is pushing Growing Pains one step closer to completion with a release of Growing Pains - The Complete Sixth Season. It will be reportedly be released on November 3, and will leave only the final season unreleased.
SEPTEMBER 29 HOME MEDIA RELEASES
- Fresh Off the Boat - The Complete First Season (DVD, $29.99): The freshman season of the ABC hit comedy arrives on DVD in this release.
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Josh Peck (Twitter)
Claim to Fame: Remember the Nickelodeon show Drake & Josh? Josh played Josh (of course), although he got his start a few years earlier on The Amanda Show. But now, he is making it to network television, with his role in the upcoming Fox series, Grandfathered, where he will star along with John Stamos.
Pick of the Tweets: "Dear @JohnStamos you killed it at the Emmys. Also, please make @HereIsGina my step mom. That is all. @Grandfathered #Grandfathered" (September 20, 2015)
Saturday, July 04, 2015
SitcomsOnline Digest: TV Land Removes The Dukes of Hazzard; Melrose Place to Become Unauthorized Story; New Growing Pains and King of the Hill DVD Releases
Happy Independence Day and welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! In true spirit of Independence Day, it seems that current topical controversy and "freedom of speech" issues, no matter which way you look at them, have managed to creep into the TV news during this surprisingly busy news week. Plus, we have less controversial news about new Growing Pains and King of the Hill DVDs. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- There has been some controversy regarding The Dukes of Hazzard in the past few weeks, and TV Land also removed the series this week (there is speculation that it is due to the use of the Confederate flag in the series, though it is important to note that TV Land is known for abrupt schedule changes for virtually any reason), but in the midst of all of this, the series has been topping the DVD sales on amazon.com, to the point where the first season will set you back about $100 and is only available from third party sellers. (New York Post)
- The Unauthorized Stories franchise at Lifetime will never end. This week, yet another one was announced: Melrose Place. (Jezebel)
- The Miss USA Pageant has been in limbo since NBC and Univision decided to not air it following lots and lots of controversial news regarding Donald Trump that we won't even get into here, but Reelz has jumped in to rescue it. (Variety)
- Sesame Street has had an unusual amount of stability when it comes to the the actors who appear in the show, but this week, it was announced that Sonia Manzano, who has played Maria for the past 45 years has retiring and will not be back for next season.. (NPR)
- The famous 30 Rock building in New York, which (of course) had an entire sitcom named after it, is now The Comcast Building. (Vanity Fair)
- What would the Fourth of July be without marathons everywhere? We've got your entire list. (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- We mentioned last week that Growing Pains would be moving forward on DVD soon, and this week, Warner Archive gave us a date. Growing Pains - The Complete Fifth Season will arrive on July 14.
- Olive Films is remaining dedicated to getting King of the Hill finished up on DVD, and on August 25, fans will see King of the Hill - The Complete 11th Season arrive on DVD, leaving two more to go.
- Archie Bunker's Place - Season One (DVD, $9.98): It has been out-of-print from Sony for quite a while now, but now, the first season of the follow-up series to All in the Family is on DVD from Mill Creek.
- Barney Miller - The Final Season (DVD, $24.97): The complete series has been out for quite some time, but now, for those who were collecting individual seasons, Shout! Factory has you taken care of.
- Married... with Children - Season 11 (DVD, $9.98): The Bundys are wrapped up on DVD with this Mill Creek re-release. Also available, the complete series.
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Pamela Adlon (Twitter), "that lady guy"
Claim to Fame: Pamela Adlon may not be a name that resonates with everybody immediately, but her name before her marriage (and subsequent divorce), Pamela Segall, might be more familiar. One of her first roles ever was on The Facts of Life playing Kelly, a mostly forgotten character who was actually a regular character (and received a billing in the opening credits) during the fifth season. After that, she did a lot of guest work on series, until she found one of her true callings in voice work in 1996 (usually voicing the characters of young boys), starting in Bobby's World. Her biggest role as a voice actor was as Bobby Hill on King of the Hill. These days, though, she isn't limiting her work to voice acting, as she is an executive producer and recurring character on the series Louie.
Pick of the Tweets: "Every day. Every day. Every day. #InternationalWomensDay (photo)" (March 9, 2015)
Saturday, June 27, 2015
SitcomsOnline Digest: Nashville to Head to AXS TV; Beverly Hills, 90210 to Get an Unauthorized Story; Growing Pains Season 5 to Arrive on DVD in July
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's another slow summer news week, but we've got news of Nashville heading to cable, yet another unauthorized story from Lifetime, another season of Growing Pains on DVD, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- Reruns of the series Nashville will be heading to cable soon on AXS TV. (Deadline)
- It looks as if Lifetime is going to keep milking the "Unauthorized Stories" franchise of movies, as they are now working on an Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story.
- We've accepted for years that Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are the two hottest shows on syndication, but Family Feud has been creeping up on them both, and last week, Family Feud topped the ratings for syndicated series. (Cinema Blend)
- Dick Van Patten died this week at the age of 86. (NPR)
- Character actor Tony Longo, who appeared in series such as Alice and Laverne & Shirley, also died this week. (Hollywood Reporter)
- With the Confederate flag being removed everywhere this week, Warner Bros has announced that they too will remove the Confederate flag from merchandise based upon the series Dukes of Hazzard. (Deadline)
- TV Land continued their re-branding this week with a new logo, yet another reminder that TV Land is absolutely nothing like the network it was 19 years ago (or even five years ago). (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Fans of Growing Pains have had to wait, on average, over two years between each release (there were five years between the release of the first season and second season even). But now, only three months after the release of the fourth season, it looks like the fifth season will come sometime next month.
- The Donna Reed Show - Season Three (DVD, $29.99): MPI comes "full circle" with their re-releases of the classic sitcom, with this completing the first five seasons of the series on MPI. Seasons six, seven, and eight remain in the hands of Sony, and we're hopeful that something can be worked out to get those released.
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Laura Prepon (Twitter)
Claim to Fame: We're featuring another That '70s Show
cast member again this week, and this time it is Laura Prepon. Born in 1980, her first role literally was on That '70s Show, when she was already 18. She remained on that series until it ended in 2006. It wasn't long after that until she came back to TV, with October Road in 2007. Unfortunately, it also didn't take long (two seasons, consisting of a total of 19 episodes) for that to get canceled either. She moved into guest starring roles for a little while after that before jumping into her next role in the NBC comedy Are You There Chelsea?, which, again, didn't last long. But despite those two less than successful series after That '70s Show, she came back in a big way in 2013 with what may be one of her biggest roles, as Alex Vause in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, a role that doesn't seem like it will be ending at any time in the near future.
Pick of the Tweets: "Always love my visits with debrajorupp #that70sfamily #donnaandkitty http://instagram.com/p/qZwDWZG638/ " (July 13, 2014)
Saturday, May 02, 2015
SitcomsOnline Digest: Unauthorized Full House Story for Lifetime; Seinfeld Goes to Hulu; Unclear Future for CSI
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Full House continues to be news thanks to a behind-the-scenes drama being made for Lifetime and some actual mini-drama involving the Olsen twins, Seinfeld has a new online home, and we're approaching that time of the year where we find out once and for all which shows will stay and which will go... and it isn't looking particularly good for one previously unstoppable procedural franchise on CBS. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- Lifetime is trying to get in on the Full House mania right now by doing an unofficial movie about the drama behind-the-scenes, much like their Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story. (Deadline)
- We mentioned a while back that Sony was trying to find an online home for Seinfeld, and this week, it seems that Hulu got those rights, in a $160 million deal valued around $875,000 per episode. (Variety)
- CSI has been one of the defining series for CBS since it debuted in October 2000, but with a declining audience and increasing cost of production, most believe that the series is about to be put to rest forever. The question is whether it will get a proper ending with a short (as short as six episode) season next year, or was the season finale that aired in February have been the last episode ever? (Deadline)
- When the NBC series Aquarius debuts later this month, the network is going to try a new approach for a broadcast network sitcom by making all 13 episodes available for immediate binge viewing on video on demand, before the remaining episodes even air on NBC. (Variety)
- The entire world knew about the Full House reboot, Fuller House, except for the Olsen twins apparently. But John Stamos isn't buying that. (ABC News)
- Actress Suzanne Crough, best known for her role on The Partridge Family, died this week at age 52. (NY Times)
- Antenna TV is planning to celebrate Mother's Day with a 40 episode One Day at a Time marathon. (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHT
- While some series have remained completely unreleased on DVD, The Abbott and Costello Show is about to be released on DVD for a third time on June 9, with The Abbott and Costello Show - The Ultimate Collection.
- Mill Creek has another Sony re-release, with Archie Bunker's Place - Season One on July 7.
RECENT REVIEWS ON SITCOMSONLINE.COM
- Growing Pains - The Complete Fourth Season: Our DVD reviews "come out of a coma" after a long hiatus with this review of the recent Warner Archive release featuring the season of Growing Pains that brought the birth of a Seaver, a new stepfather for Jason, a new girlfriend (and fiance?) for Mike, and a serious life moment for Carol. The episodes only set looks fine for the most part, although there are some defects on the menu navigation on the first disc.
MAY 5 HOME MEDIA RELEASES
- Cheers - The Complete Series (DVD, $117.99): CBS puts all eleven seasons of the classic series together in one set for the first time ever.
- The Fugitive - The Complete Series (DVD, $79.99): CBS re-releases the complete series of this show, without the bonus disc included in the previous complete series release.
- Parenthood - Season 6 (DVD, $39.98): The final season of the NBC drama comes together in this final DVD release of the series; Parenthood - The Complete Series (DVD, $119.98) also available.
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Who to Follow: Zachery Ty Bryan (Twitter)
Claim to Fame: While Zachery Ty Bryan started out in some advertising spots when he was younger, he came into his best known role when he was only 10 years old, playing oldest son Brad Taylor on the hit ABC sitcom Home Improvement. Following that series, he has mostly done a lot of guest starring roles, on series such as Boston Public, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, Cold Case, and Burn Notice. These days, he is dabbling in behind-the-scenes work in production. And, if you read his Twitter feed, you'll see that all of that love for soccer that he had on the series wasn't just made-for-TV, it is something that is a real thing in his life. That isn't his only sports connection: his second cousin is former NFL quarterback Brady Quinn.
Pick of the Tweets: "Home Improvement Swag -- #ThrowbackThursday http://instagram.com/p/ZX_6FJzhk2/" (May 16, 2013)
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, September 12
Vampirina: Teenage Vampire - "First Year to Watch" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
As Vee arrives at Wilson Hall, she learns that performing arts boarding school might have more challenges than she thought; Demi vows to protect Vee from Van Helsings.
Vampirina: Teenage Vampire - "First Day of School" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Vee's plans to have an amazing first day of school are threatened by a dire warning from the Vampire Council; Demi continues his search for Van Helsings.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 8)
Friday, September 12
- Regina King (The Boondocks/Leap of Faith/227) - Watch Regina on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Michael Chiklis (Daddio) - Michael is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Drew Barrymore (Santa Clarita Diet) - Drew appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Kumail is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Domhnall Gleeson (The Paper) - Domhnall appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Emily Osment (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/Young Sheldon/Young & Hungry/Hannah Montana), Tien Tran (How I Met Your Father) and Vinny Thomas (Platonic) - Emily, Tien and Vinny are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken talks about 99 to Beat on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Michael Urie (Shrinking/Krapopolis/Partners) - Michael talks about Broadway's Oh, Mary! and Shrinking on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Zosia Mamet (Laid/Girls) - Zosia talks about Does This Make Me Funny? on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Emeril Lagasse (Emeril) - Sunny Anderson gets a big surprise from Drew – cooking with the legendary Emeril Lagasse on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Jennifer Aniston (Friends/Muddling Through/Ferris Bueller/Molloy) - Drew is chatting with Jennifer about the new season of The Morning Show, her kids cookbook, Cook with Clydeo, and her haircare line on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Hannah Pilkes (Leanne) - Hannah is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
- Charlie Sheen (Anger Management/Two and a Half Men/Spin City) - Real Time with Bill Maher features a one-on-one interview with Charlie Sheen, actor and subject of the new two-part documentary aka Charlie Sheen on Netflix, and author of the new book The Book of Sheen: A Memoir at 10pm on HBO.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
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