SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Rewind TV February 2025 Schedule; Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary Score Big for Premieres

Rewind TV will be making some minor schedule changes beginning Monday, Febrary 3 to its weekday lineup. The most notable change is Dear John now airing at 6am ET (replacing Head of the Class, which now is off of weekdays) and 4pm ET (replacing Who's the Boss?, which slides to 2pm). The John Larroquette Show will air weeknights at 5pm ET now replacing 227, which slides to 3pm. The Hogan Family is also now off of weekdays, as its 2pm slot now is Who's the Boss? The timeslot shuffling is from 12pm-11pm, with the exception of Sabrina the Teenage Witch which remains at 8pm.

After seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms, ABC's acclaimed new comedy Shifting Gears has revved up a total cross-platform audience of nearly 17 million Total Viewers, representing a 173% lift over the show's initial Live+Same Day delivery (16.95 million vs. 6.20 million). Excluding linear encores, Tim Allen's triumphant return to ABC as Matt, the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop, garnered 12.45 million Total Viewers and 2.94 rating in Adults 18-49, growing 101% in Total Viewers over the show's Live+Same Day audience (12.45 million vs. 6.20 million) and +339% in Adults 18-49 (2.94 rating vs. 0.67 rating). Shifting Gears stood as ABC's strongest series debut in over six years - since 10/16/18 with The Conners, and marks the most-watched ABC series premiere on streaming to date, based on views in its first seven days on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

On linear, Shifting Gears earned an impressive 7.82 million Total Viewers becoming one of the most-watched broadcast series premieres of the season and growing markedly over the show's initial Live+Same Day Audience, where it topped the night in Total Viewers (+26% - 7.82 million vs. 6.20 million). Among Adults 18-49, Shifting Gears earned an 0.87 rating, standing as the strongest premiere of the season in the key Adult demographic, excluding NFL-inflated lead-ins. Meanwhile, Abbott Elementary returned for its winter premiere with a highly anticipated crossover event, featuring FXX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, reaching a series high in Total Viewers (8.05 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.57 rating) in multiplatform viewing, excluding the show's post-Oscars(R) episode (3/10/24).

On linear, the Abbott Elementary midseason return scored 4.90 million Total Viewers and a 0.90 rating in Adults 18-49, rising nicely over the show's initial Live+Same Day audience (+28% - 4.90 million vs. 3.82 million) and Adults 18-49 (+32% - 0.90 rating vs. 0.68 rating), topping the night among Adults 18-49. The midseason debut scored an all-time series high for episode views on streaming, based on the first seven days on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. Hulu is the streaming home to both Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, making this crossover episode a must-watch for subscribers.

Antenna TV Spring 2023 Schedule; Rewind TV Spring 2023 Schedule

Beginning Monday, March 20, 2023, Antenna TV is making some changes to its schedule for some spring cleaning. The changes are mainly early weekday mornings and Saturday primetime, along with McHale's Navy & Welcome Back, Kotter returning to weekdays. Weekday early mornings now has only one episode each of Burns & Allen and Jack Benny from 5-6am (previously was airing an hour each from 6-8am). I Dream of Jeannie is added to mornings airing 6-7am while Bewitched's morning hour moves to 7-8am (instead of 5-6am). At noon, McHale's Navy returns to weekdays as My Favorite Martian departs weekdays. And also Welcome Back, Kotter returns to weekdays airing 4-5pm replacing Too Close for Comfort, which departs on weekdays. The other changes are to weekends, with Saturday primetime seeing the most changes, One Day at a Time moves up to 8-9pm instead of Alice (moves to 1-2am on Sat), while The Jeffersons gets the 9-10pm hour. The rest of the changes are minor, which includes Kotter Saturday block cut to 7-8pm, as Too Close for Comfort moves to Saturdays 6-7pm. My Favorite Martian retains the Saturday 12pm hour but will also add the Sunday 9am hour, instead of McHale's Navy.

Sister network Rewind TV is making spring changes beginning today - Monday, March 6! The biggest change is that Paid Programming is now gone from 6-9am! Sitcoms will now air 6-9am, with Paid Programming being now only 4-6am. So Rewind TV is only making changes to 3am-9am due to this Paid Progamming change. NewsRadio will air weekdays 3-4am, Head of the Class Saturdays 3-4am and It's a Living Sundays 3-4am. After Paid Programming, weekdays 6-9am will have an hour each of It's a Living, 227 and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, while Saturdays will have an hour of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and two hours of Mork & Mindy. Sundays will have an hour of Head of the Class into two hours of 227. The rest of the Rewind TV schedule remain as it is now, with sitcoms such as Drew Carey, The Facts of Life, and Diff'rent Strokes staying in their current slots.

Bounce Orders New Sitcom for Spring 2023; Remembering Hogan's Heroes Star Robert Clary, The Bob Newhart Show and Taxi Co-Creator David Davis, and Head of the Class Co-Creator Richard Eustis

Bounce, the popular broadcast and multi-platform entertainment network serving African Americans, announced a partnership with MGM to produce a new original series, Act Your Age. The multiple-camera, half-hour comedy tells the story of three vibrant, successful Washington D.C./Northern Virginia-area women in their 50's who are each at a personal crossroads and who decide the best way forward in life is together. Act Your Age stars Kym Whitley (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Next Friday, Young and Hungry) and Tisha Campbell (Uncoupled, My Wife and Kids, Dr. Ken, Martin) with special guest star Yvette Nicole Brown (Community, The Mayor, Big Shot).

Whitley plays Bernadette, a successful, no-nonsense real estate developer. Campbell plays Keisha, the wild card of the group who is always up to something, and Brown plays Angela, the former First Lady of Norfolk, Virginia, who is looking to redefine her life after being widowed by her husband, a revered career politician. The multi-generational sitcom also features Mariah Robinson (The Wrong Valentine) and Nathan Anderson (All About the Washingtons, Richie Rich) as the 20-something children of Angela and Bernadette, respectively. Alyson Fouse (Big Shot, Everybody Hates Chris, The Wanda Sykes Show) created the series and serves as showrunner and executive producer. The series is produced by Mark Burnett, Barry Poznick and Bradley Gardner (Hot in Cleveland) and co-executive producer Ken Ornstein (Everybody Loves Raymond). The 16-episode first season of Act Your Age has begun production in Los Angeles and will premiere on Bounce in the spring of 2023.

French-born American actor Robert Clary, who was best known for his role as Corporal Louis LeBeau on Hogan's Heroes, has died. He died at his Los Angeles home on November 16. Mr. Clary was 96.

Clary starred as Corporal Louis LeBeau on the 1965-1971 CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes. The series was set in a German prisoner of war (POW) camp during World War II, and Clary played a French POW who was a member of an Allied sabotage unit operating from inside the camp. Corporal Louis LeBeau is a gourmet chef, and patriotic Frenchman, frequently referred to as "the cockroach" by both Colonel Wilhelm Klink (Werner Klemperer) and Sergeant Hans Schultz (John Banner). The cast included Bob Crane, Richard Dawson, Ivan Dixon (1965-1970), Kenneth Washington (1970-1971), Larry Hovis, Cynthia Lynn (1965-1966) and Sigrid Valdis (1966-1970).

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style (1969), Arnie, Love Thy Neighbor and The Munsters Today. Some of his other television guest appearances included Appointment with Adventure, Play of the Week, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The High Chaparral, Fantasy Island (1978) and The New Adam-12 (1990).

He starred as Robert LeClair on Days of Our Lives from 1972–1973, 1975–1983 and 1986–1987. He played Pierre Jourdan on The Bold and the Beautiful from 1990 to 1992. He appeared as Pierre Roulland on two episodes of The Young and the Restless in 1974.

Clary was a survivor of the Holocaust. He published a memoir, From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary, in 2001. He describes his childhood in Paris, the German occupation in 1940, and his deportation in 1942 at the age of sixteen to the infamous transit camp Drancy. He recounts his nightmarish, two-and-a-half-year incarceration in Nazi concentration camps like Ottmuth, Blechhammer, Gross-Rosen, and Buchenwald. He played himself in the 1982 NBC TV movie Remembrance of Love.

Mr. Clary was the last surviving main cast member who starred in all six seasons of Hogan's Heroes, with only Kenneth Washington who played Sergeant Richard Baker in the final season left. He was funny and memorable as Corporal Louis LeBeau. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment that he brought us during his career. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Hogan's Heroes message board. View photos in our galleries.

MeTV remembers French actor and singer Robert Clary with special episodes of Hogan’s Heroes showcasing his memorable character, Corporal LeBeau. They will be celebrating Clary's life with some of the fan-favorite best episodes of Hogan's Heroes that highlight Cpl. LeBeau, Nov. 21-23 at 10P | 9C.

November 21st
10P | 9C - “Lebreau and the Little Old Lady" - LeBeau says that he keeps rendezvousing with a little old lady who is actually young and beautiful.
10:30P | 9:30C - “Gowns by Yvette” - Burkhalter's niece is getting married and by having LeBeau design her wedding gown, Hogan is going to contact an underground agent, and later free him after capture by the Gestapo.

November 22nd
10P | 9C - “Man in a Box” - Hogan is hot on the trail of capturing LeBeau, but not too quickly since he has a mission to complete.
10:30P | 9:30C - “Cuisine a la Stalag 13” - LeBeau wants to escape, leaving Stalag 13 without its resident chef.

November 23rd
10P | 9C - “The Scientist” - Corporal LeBeau pretends to be a visiting French scientist while Hogan smuggles out the real one.
10:30P | 9:30C - “The Gypsy” - LeBeau is passed off as a Gypsy fortune teller to help get a radar countermeasure device to London.

Emmy-winning producer and writer David Davis, who co-created The Bob Newhart Show and Taxi, has died. He died in Los Angeles on November 4. Mr. Davis was 86.

Davis and Lorenzo Music created the 1972-1978 CBS sitcom The Bob Newhart Show. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psychologist whose interactions with his wife, friends, patients, and colleagues lead to humorous situations and dialogue.

James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, Ed. Weinberger and Davis created the 1978-1983 sitcom Taxi, which aired on ABC for four seasons from 1978 to 1982 and the fifth and final season on NBC from 1982 to 1983. It focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher. Davis won a Primetime Emmy Award for his producing work on Taxi in 1979 when it won for Outstanding Comedy Series. Taxi also won Outstanding Comedy Series in 1980 and 1981.

Davis and Lorenzo Music developed the 1974-1978 CBS sitcom Rhoda. He met actress Julie Kavner (Brenda Morgenstern) on the set. They were partners from 1976 until his death.

Some of his other sitcom writing credits included Love, American Style (3 episodes) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (7 episodes). He worked as a dialogue supervisor for The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis from 1962 to 1963. He was an associate producer for O.K. Crackerby!, My Mother the Car, He & She and Get Smart. He worked as a production advisor for the 1993-1994 ABC sitcom Phenom.

Survivors include Julie Kavner, daughter Samantha Davis-Friedman, daughter Abigail, and grandsons Joshua, Jacob, Aden, Asher and Elijah.

Mr. Davis was a key player on the MTM Enterprises team in the 1970s. He also shot footage for the title sequences for The Bob Newhart Show and Taxi. We thank him for his work on The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi and Rhoda. He will be sorely missed.

Emmy-winning writer and producer Richard Eustis, who co-created Head of the Class, has died. He died on October 30 in Thousand Oaks, California. Mr. Eustis was 86.

Eustis and Michael Elias created and executive produced the 1986-1991 ABC sitcom Head of the Class. The series follows a group of gifted students in the Individualized Honors Program (IHP) at the fictional Millard Fillmore High School in Manhattan, and their history teacher Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman).

They created and executive produced the short-lived 1992 ABC sitcom Billy. The spin-off of Head of the Class starred Billy Connolly as Billy MacGregor, a Scottish teacher who moves to America in order to build a new life for himself.

Eustis and Elias created and executive produced the short-lived 1993 CBS sitcom Tall Hopes. The series starred George Wallace, Anna Maria Horsford, Kenn Michael, Terrence Howard and Karla Green.

He wrote a Scrubs episode in 2004 and worked as a consultant for eight episodes from 2003 to 2004.

Eustis won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special - Comedy-Variety or Music for An Evening with John Denver in 1975.

Survivors include his wife, Tiana, sons John and Ronald, daughter Madeleine, son-in-law Marcel Samek, grandson Julian Eustis Samek and granddaughters Colette Eustis Samek and Linh Eustis.

We thank him for bringing us Head of the Class and his other work on sitcoms. He will be sorely missed.

SitcomsOnline Digest: Midseason Premiere Dates Set for Reboots of 80s Classics; Abbott Elementary Still Strong in Ratings

 Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! While there isn't exactly any big news this week, there actually is quite a bit of news, including midseason lineups that will make you think you were time warped about three decades, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• If you're waiting for the second season of The Wonder Years, which ABC picked up as a midseason show this year, you'll have to keep waiting until more end of season, as it will debut in the summer. (Variety)
• You'll forget what decade you're in when NBC brings out their midseason lineup when you look at your TV listings and see Quantum Leap, Magnum P.I., Night Court, and Law & Order on the lineup. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Make no mistake, people are watching Abbott Elementary, and ratings for the second season premiere set some record highs for ABC. (Deadline)
• Netflix is no longer the only streaming service out there, and has to find a way to stand out--and exclusive rights to certain live sports may be that way. (Deadline)
• Rich Eustis, writer and creator of Head of the Class, has died at age 86. (Variety)
• NCIS is preparing for a crossover event between all three of the series. (TVLine)
• Glee creator Ryan Murphy now says that the series should've ended after the death of Cory Monteith. (Deadline)
• Fox has been pretty aggressive about picking up animated comedies (and even giving second seasons to ones that haven't premiered), without any real indication of how they would fit on the lineup if they succeed, and now another one has been announced. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (NOVEMBER 12 - NOVEMBER 18)

• The Decades binge this weekend is Wonder Woman.
• Season five of Yellowstone debuts tomorrow on Paramount Network.

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.

Antenna TV and Rewind TV Spring 2022 Schedules; Starz Comedy Blindspotting Gets More Stars

As we mentioned a few months back, My Favorite Martian is joining the Antenna TV line-up this spring. The series starts on Monday, May 2, airing weekdays at 12pm & 12:30pm ET (replacing McHale's Navy) and Saturdays at 11:00pm & 11:30pm ET (replacing That Girl). There are some other changes as well, most notably The Jeffersons getting a second hour in primetime on weeknights, now airing 8-10pm ET, shifting Barney Miller to 11pm-12am. And Alice also gets shifted to 1-2am, replacing Archie Bunker's Place, which is off of the weekday line-up (it will still air weekend mornings). The rest of the schedule on weekdays will remain the same, but weekends get more time shifting changes. Saturdays from 12-4pm changs a bit with a second hour of The Partridge Family now from 12-1pm, Three's Company from 1-2pm, One Day at a Time from 2-3pm and Benson from 3-4pm. This means Welcome Back, Kotter and Too Close for Comfort are off of the weekend schedule, but will still air weekdays. In addition, The Ropers and Three's a Crowd are now off the line-up completely. Sundays will see more changes than any other day. 1-4pm block is now: back-to-back Father Knows Best, One Day at a Time and Benson. Then from 6pm-4am, is a new schedule with Dear John kicking it off from 6-7pm, then four episodes in a row of Family Ties, Wings, Becker and Soap from 7pm-3am (Wings and Becker return to Antenna, but still air on sister network Rewind TV). One Day at a Time encore is now 3-4am. View and discuss the full Antenna TV spring schedule.

Moving on to sister network Rewind TV. The changes for the spring are minor. There are no changes to the line-up on weekdays or Saturdays. Minor changes on Sunday are: Becker added to Sundays from 5-7am and Head of the Class added to Sundays from 7-9pm, as Family Ties will now air 7-9pm on sister network Antenna TV on Sundays. View and discuss the full Rewind TV spring schedule.

STARZ announced that LeVar Burton (Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation), Katlynn Simone Smith (Empire, The Game) Tamera Tomakili (Winning Time, Run The World) and Tim Chantarangsu (Laid in America, The Perfect Match) have joined the cast of its critically acclaimed comedy series Blindspotting for season two, in recurring roles. Additionally, rappers E-40, P-Lo and Too $hort will guest star as themselves in the upcoming season. STARZ additionally confirmed that season one recurring players Margo Hall as NANCY, April Absynth as JACQUE, Lance Holloway as CUDDIE, Andrew Chappelle as SCOTTY and Utkarsh Ambudkar as NILES TURNER will all return for season two in expanded recurring roles.

Blindspotting stars Emmy Award(R)-winner Jasmine Cephas Jones (#FreeRayshawn, Hamilton an American Musical), Academy Award(R)- -winner Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets, Mad About You), recording artist Benjamin Earl Turner, Atticus Woodward (Shameless), Jaylen Barron (Free Rein, Shameless), Candace Nicholas-Lippman (Good Trouble) and Rafael Casal (Bad Education, The Good Lord Bird).

Remembering Howard Hesseman of WKRP in Cincinnati and Head of the Class; Nick Renews That Girl Lay Lay for Season 2

Actor Howard Hesseman, who starred as malcontent disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati and as history teacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class, has died. He died from complications of colorectal surgery in Los Angeles, California, on January 29. Mr. Hesseman was 81.

Hesseman's early sitcom guest appearances included The Andy Griffith Show (2 episodes), Rhoda, Sanford and Son, Laverne & Shirley, Blansky's Beauties and Husbands, Wives & Lovers. He had a recurring role as Dr. Robert Williams on 13 episodes of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman from 1976 to 1977. He appeared as Craig Plager, a member of the group therapy ensemble who was later revealed to be gay, on five episodes of The Bob Newhart Show from 1974 to 1978. In several other episodes of the show, his voice can be heard as a TV announcer (Augie). He had a recurring role as Mr. Franklin on seven episodes of Soap in 1977.

He starred as anti-disco disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever (real name John R. Caravella) on the 1978-1982 CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. Dr. Johnny Fever is a veteran disc jockey who comes to WKRP after being fired from a major Los Angeles station when he said "booger" on the air. Hesseman prepared for the role by working as a DJ in San Francisco at KMPX-FM for several months. He received two Emmy nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1980 and 1981. He wrote an episode in 1981 and directed an episode in 1982. The cast included Gary Sandy, Gordon Jump, Loni Anderson, Richard Sanders, Frank Bonner, Jan Smithers and Tim Reid.

Hesseman had a recurring role as Sam Royer on 16 episodes of the the last two seasons (1982-1984) of the CBS sitcom One Day at a Time. Sam Royer is the father of Mark Royer (Boyd Gaines), who is Barbara's (Valerie Bertinelli) boyfriend and later husband. Sam Royer later becomes Ann Romano's (Bonnie Franklin) second husband.

He next starred as Charlie Moore on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class. Charlie Moore is a history and social studies teacher at Manhattan's Monroe High School (later changed to Millard Fillmore High School in the final season) who teaches the honors program to intellectual geniuses and helps them aim for their dreams. Hesseman left the series after the fourth season in 1990 and was replaced by Scottish comedian Billy Connolly (in his first major American production) as teacher Billy MacGregor for the final season. The cast included William G. Schilling, Jeannetta Arnette, Leslie Bega (seasons 1-3), Dan Frischman, Robin Givens, Khrystyne Haje, Jory Husain (aka Joher Coleman) (seasons 1–3), Tony O'Dell, Brian Robbins, Kimberly Russell, Dan Schneider, Tannis Valley (seasons 1–3; guest, season 5), Rain Pryor (seasons 3-5), Michael DeLorenzo (seasons 4-5), Lara Piper (seasons 4-5), Jonathan Ke Quan (seasons 4-5) and De'voreaux White (seasons 4-5).

Hesseman reprised his role of Dr. Johnny Fever on nine episodes of the 1991-1993 first-run syndicated sitcom The New WKRP in Cincinnati. He appeared on four episodes in the first season and five episodes in season two. He participated in a four-episode story arc as WKRP's overnight DJ in season two, although he left the station (and the series) before the season ended. He also directed two episodes of the series revival in 1993. The cast included Gordon Jump, Richard Sanders, Frank Bonner, Mykel (Mykelti) T. Williamson, Tawny Kitaen and French Stewart.

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included 9 to 5 (1982), Love, Sidney (1983), Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (1998), Three Sisters, That '70s Show (3 episodes as Max), Maybe It's Me, It's All Relative, Oliver Beene, Mike & Molly and Fresh Off the Boat (2 episodes as Mr. Royce). He hosted Saturday Night Live three times in 1979, 1982 and 1983.

He played Judge Robert Thompson on three episodes of Boston Legal from 2006 to 2007. Some of his other drama guest appearances included Dragnet 1967, Mannix, The Blue Knight, Harry O, Family, Switch, Baretta, Delvecchio, Westside Medical, Quincy M.E, The Rockford Files, Murder, She Wrote (1985), The Ray Bradbury Theatre (1992), Burke's Law, The Outer Limits (1997), The Practice, Family Law, The Pretender, Touched by an Angel, Level 9, Thieves, Crossing Jordan, Boomtown, House, Psych, John from Cincinnati (2 episodes), ER, Lie to Me, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Drop Dead Diva and Chicago Med.

Hesseman starred as Captain Pete Lassard in the film Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985). Some of his other film credits included Steelyard Blues (1973), Loose Shoes (1978), Private Lessons (1981), Doctor Detroit (1983), This Is Spinal Tap (1984), My Chauffeur (1986), Flight of the Navigator (1986), Heat (1986), Inside Out (1986), Rubin & Ed (1991), Little Miss Millions (aka Home for Christmas) (1994) and The Sky Is Falling (1999).

Survivors include his third wife of 33 years, actress and acting teacher Caroline Ducrocq.

Mr. Hesseman was a talented and versatile actor. He was funny and memorable on WKRP in Cincinnati and Head of the Class. We thank him for the many laughs and entertainment he brought us during his career. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our WKRP in Cincinnati and Head of the Class message boards. View photos in our galleries.

MeTV Network Remembers Howard Hesseman

Sunday, February 6 at 4:00 p.m. ET

4:00 p.m. WKRP in Cincinnati
"Dr. Fever and Mr. Tide (Part 1)"
Forced to host a disco dance show on TV, Johnny comes up with a new alter ego; the phony, smarmy "Rip Tide."
4:30pm WKRP in Cincinnati
"Dr. Fever and Mr. Tide (Part 2)
Forced to host a disco dance show on TV, Johnny comes up with a new alter ego; the phony, smarmy "Rip Tide."

Decades will have an all-day binge marathon (48 episodes) of WKRP in Cincinnati on Saturday, February 5.

We also remember child actor Peter Robbins. He was best known for being the first actor to voice Charlie Brown in the Peanuts animated specials. He died by suicide on January 18 in Oceanside, California. He had a lifelong battle with mental illness. Mr. Robbins was 65.

Robbins provided the voice of Charlie Brown, whom he considered to be his childhood hero, in one television documentary, six Peanuts television specials and one movie from 1963 to 1969, including the film A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969) and the television specials A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966).

He starred as Alexander Bumstead on the short-lived 1968-1969 CBS sitcom Blondie, which was an updated version of the 1957 TV series that was based on the comic strip of the same name. Alexander Bumstead is the son of Dagwood Bumstead (Will Hutchins) and Blondie (Patricia Harty). The series also starred Jim Backus, Pamelyn Ferdin, Henny Backus, Bobbi Jordan and Bryan O'Bourne.

Robbins played Elmer Dudley in The Munsters episode "Rock-a-Bye Munster" in 1964. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included The Donna Reed Show, The Farmer's Daughter, The Joey Bishop Show, Love on a Rooftop, F Troop, Get Smart and My Three Sons.

His drama guest appearances included Rawhide, The F.B.I. and Bracken's World. He appeared as Grover Martin in the 1963 film A Ticklish Affair, which starred Shirley Jones, Gig Young and Red Buttons. He played Brandon in the 1967 film Good Times, which starred Sonny & Cher.

Mr. Robbins retired from the entertainment industry in 1972, and later pursued his career in real estate, with brief stints in radio. We thank him for his voice work as Charlie Brown and his appearances on television. He will be missed.

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

Nickelodeon announced that it has greenlit a 13-episode second season of its hit live-action multi-camera buddy comedy That Girl Lay Lay. The series follows Lay Lay (Alaya "That Girl Lay Lay" High), an avatar from a personal affirmation app that magically comes to life, and her best friend Sadie (Gabrielle Nevaeh Green) as they navigate life as teenagers and discover who they truly are. Season one of That Girl Lay Lay shattered records this Fall with premieres delivering double digit gains on Thursday nights and consistent #1 rankings in the time slot across all TV among K6-11. That Girl Lay Lay follows Lay Lay, a virtual hype avatar who magically comes to life after her best friend Sadie wishes on a star. For her work on the series, That Girl Lay Lay is currently nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the "Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series)" category. Season two of That Girl Lay Lay will begin production early this year in Los Angeles with a premiere slated for this summer on Nickelodeon.

Season two of the series will bring more music and magical powers as the two best friends continue to go on even more exciting adventures, working to fulfill Lay Lay's desire to experience everything that comes with being a real teenager. That Girl Lay Lay also stars Peyton Perrine III as Sadie's brother, Marky; Tiffany Daniels as Sadie's mom, Trish; and Thomas Hobson as Sadie's dad, Bryce.

SitcomsOnline Digest: Jeff Garlin Fired from The Goldbergs; The Golden Palace Headed to Hulu

 Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's amazing that it's a week before Christmas, and yet again, we have a full slate of news, almost too much to cover here, yet again! This week, we're learning about an exit on The Goldbergs, the arrival of The Golden Palace on Hulu, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Jeff Garlin has been fired from the ABC The Goldbergs, which leaves a lot of questions about how the series will explain his absence and proceed without him. (Entertainment Weekly)
• The Golden Palace, the spinoff of The Golden Girls, is heading to Hulu (but can we get Empty Nest and even Nurses too while we're at it?). (Deadline)
• Speaking of The Golden Girls, Betty White is about to turn 100, and you're invited to celebrate... at select movie theaters, anyway. (Variety)
• A realignment of the Emmy Awards (both primetime and daytime versions) is coming. (Deadline)
• CBS is developing a new comedy from the same team that brought fans The Neighborhood. (Deadline)
• Yet another reboot that we spent years talking about has been cancelled just a little over a month after premiering, and this time, it is HBO Max's Head of the Class. (Hollywood Reporter)
• In this week's "abrupt news we didn't see coming," Sony has cancelled Dr. Oz effective in mid-January, but he'll be replaced with a series hosted by his own daughter. (CNBC)
• American Dad! is the only former Fox animated series that isn't part of the FXX lineup, but it's still going strong for TBS and Adult Swim, as TBS has renewed it for two additional seasons (beyond the 17th season that begins in January). (Deadline)
• Amen and Gimme a Break are both headed to Cozi TV in January. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (DECEMBER 18 - DECEMBER 24)

• Decades has a binge of The Monkees this weekend.
• Antenna TV begins their Christmas celebrations on Friday, with two days of Christmas episodes and more.

Head of the Class Reboot Premieres Nov. 4, Guest Stars Robin Givens; The Bear Coming to FX

HBO Max shared a first look of Robin Givens as an all-grown-up Darlene Merriman in the upcoming Max Original series Head of the Class, inspired by the 1980s ABC sitcom of the same name. The series will premiere November 4. The multi-camera family comedy, from executive producer Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Scrubs, Cougar Town) alongside executive producers and showrunners Amy Pocha (Paradise PD, American Vandal) & Seth Cohen (i>Paradise PD, American Vandal), will debut on the streaming service on Thursday, November 4, 35 years after the original series, created by Rich Eustis and Michael Elias, aired. Darlene description: A member of the original Individualized Honors Program (IHP), Darlene Hayward is an ambitious lawyer with a degree from Stanford. She wants what is best for her son and is hyper focused on setting him up for success. Darlene might need a reminder of the positive impact an out-of-the-box teacher can have, but she's fighting for the good of all students at Meadows Creek High as co-head of the Parents' Association.

Head of the Class revolves around a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge — a teacher, Alicia Gomez (Isabella Gomez – One Day at a Time), who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life. Isabella Gomez, Jorge Diaz, Jolie Hoang Rappaport, Gavin Lewis, Dior Goodjohn, Brandon Severs, Adrian Matthew Escalona, and Katie Beth Hall star. Christa Miller and Robin Givens guest star.

The Bear, a half-hour comedy about a young chef who returns to Chicago to run the family restaurant, has been picked up to series. The series from FX Productions will premiere in 2022. The Bear is executive produced by Joanna Calo (Bojack Horseman, Undone), Hiro Murai (Atlanta, Station Eleven) and Nate Matteson (Station Eleven, The Choe Show) of Super Frog, Christopher Storer (Ramy, Eighth Grade) and Josh Senior. Matty Matheson is a consulting producer. The Bear features Jeremy Allen White starring along with Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Abby Elliott, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Edwin Gibson and Matty Matheson in recurring roles.

SitcomsOnline Digest: Perfect Strangers Reboot in the Works; New Head of the Class DVD Release

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're learning about a reboot of a classic 80s sitcom, the cancellation of a Fox series (that wasn't intended to be more than a limited series anyway), and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• It's about to be 1986 all over again, with NBC rebooting Night Court and now HBO Max is looking to reboot Perfect Strangers. (Deadline)
• It's likely no surprise after the lackluster success of the second season, but The Moodys is done on Fox. (TVLine)
• NBC has cancelled Manifest, but it could be back for new episodes elsewhere, such as Netflix. (Deadline)
• The Quibi library was recently added to Roku's lineup, and in two weeks, they've had more viewers than they ever had in their entire time on Quibi. (Deadline)
• A little bit of DVD news (we get so little that we don't even devote a separate section to it anymore), Head of the Class - The Complete Third Season will be released by Warner Archive on July 20. (TV Shows on DVD)
• The Netflix comedy Dad Stop Embarrassing Me kind of went under the radar as a series to begin with, but now it has been cancelled. (Yahoo!) 
• Frank Bonner, who played Herb Tarlek on WKRP in Cincinnati, has died. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (JUNE 19 - JUNE 25)

• Antenna TV is celebrating Father's Day with a marathon of Bewitched episodes focusing on the two different actors who played Darrin (much like the Nick at Nite Dueling Darrins marathon from the late 90s!).
• Decades is having a binge of Taxi this weekend.
• Kevin Can F**k Himself has already debuted on AMC+, but the linear network itself will begin airing it on Sunday.
• The long-awaited fifth season of Rick & Morty also debuts on Sunday on Adult Swim.

Head of the Class Reboot Cast and Info; Tia Mowry Expands with New Cookbook

HBO Max has given a 10-episode series order to the new Max Original Head of the Class, from executive producer Bill Lawrence and executive producers/writers Amy Pocha & Seth Cohen. Production on the first season of the half-hour multicamera comedy from Warner Bros. Television and Doozer Productions is slated to begin in summer 2021 in Los Angeles. Head of the Class revolves around a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge - a teacher, Alicia Adams (Isabella Gomez - One Day at a Time), who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life. Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time, Matador), Jorge Diaz (The Long Road Home, East Los High), Jolie Hoang Rappaport (Watchmen, Just Add Magic, Cousins for Life), Gavin Lewis (Little Fires Everywhere, Prince of Peoria), Dior Goodjohn (Glee, Raven's Home, The Unicorn), Brandon Severs (Diary of a Future President), Adrian Matthew Escalona, and Katie Beth Hall (Happy!, Better Call Saul, Bull). Christa Miller (Cougar Town, Scrubs, The Drew Carey Show) guest stars.

Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Cougar Town, Scrubs) will serve as executive producer of Head of the Class alongside Amy Pocha (Paradise PD, American Vandal) & Seth Cohen (Paradise PD, American Vandal) and Doozer's Jeff Ingold (Ted Lasso). Doozer's Liza Katzer (Ted Lasso) is co-executive producer. Pocha & Cohen wrote the pilot episode, which was directed by Phill Lewis (One Day at a Time, Mike & Molly). From Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, the series is based on the original 1980s comedy created by Rich Eustis & Michael Elias. The original series currently airs in reruns on Antenna TV.

Sitcom star Tia Mowry announced that her highly anticipated new cookbook, The Quick Fix Kitchen, is set for publication by Rodale Books on September 28, 2021. As a busy mom, actor, producer, author and entrepreneur, Tia needed to find quick and easy solutions to a busy life, especially when it came to cooking for her family. She figured out a way to create nutritious, hearty dishes that work for everyone, allowing her to savor moments spent around the table. In The Quick Fix Kitchen, Tia shares her favorite mealtime hacks, tips to bring joy and balance to your kitchen and 65 easy, delicious and healthy recipes the entire family will love. The Quick Fix Kitchen empowers readers to embrace home cooking without sacrificing time and energy with Tia's "Quick Fixes" for mealtimes: healthy food swaps, pantry organizational hacks, food shopping tips, meal plans, sixty-five easy, delicious recipes, and more. With advice presented in her trademark joyful, down-to-earth fashion, you’ll learn how to use your kitchen to your advantage--understanding flavor affinities, balancing wholesome and indulgent meals, incorporating the kids, managing your time—so that you can unwind and have fun creating family traditions.

Multi-talented actress, producer, author and entrepreneur Tia Mowry has had a career spanning three decades after becoming a pop culture icon starring in the hit sitcom Sister, Sister. She has acted and produced in various TV shows and movies and currently stars in hit Netflix sitcom Family Reunion. From 2015 to 2017, Mowry starred in her Cooking Channel series Tia Mowry at Home and in 2017 she launched her YouTube channel, "Tia Mowry's Quick Fix."

SitcomsOnline Digest: Head of the Class Reboot Ordered at HBO Max; Friends Reunion Special Finally Happening

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're  learning more about the Head of the Class reboot, the long-awaited Friends reunion, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• The Head of the Class reboot at HBO Max is happening, as it has received a 10 episode order. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Finally, that long-awaited Friends reunion special that was supposed to be part of the HBO Max launch is going to take place. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Young Sheldon has been renewed for three more seasons. (AV Club) 
• Fox has decided to not renew Bless the Harts for a second season, although another new animated series is already lined up to replace it next season. (Deadline)
• Disney, which is actually the owner of the Fox animated series, is doubling down on animation by creating a whole separate division for it called 20th Century Animation. (Deadline)
  
• Antenna TV has a new lineup for spring starting Monday, and while it includes no new shows, some have been pulled. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (APRIL 3 - APRIL 9) 

 

• Decades has a Police Woman binge this weekend.
• Chad, a new comedy on TBS, debuts Tuesday.
• ABC has the series premiere of Home Economics on Wednesday.
• The new series drama series Rebel, starring Katey Sagal, debuts on ABC on Thursday.
  

SitcomsOnline Digest: One Day at a Time Comes to an End (Again); SNL Lines Up December Hosts

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're learning of the cancellation (again!) of One Day at a Time, but one of the stars may be landing somewhere else fairly quickly. Also, we're hearing what fans and critics think of the Saved by the Bell reboot, a plan to replace Alex Trebek (at least temporarily, and more). Let's get going!

• One Day at a Time has been cancelled by Pop TV, and looking for yet another platform to air on after being cancelled twice, but.... (Digital Spy)
• ... Isabella Gomez has a new role lined up, effectively filling the role that Howard Hesseman played in the original series in a HBO Max reboot of Head of the Class. (Deadline)
• The Saved by the Bell reboot has arrived on Peacock, and the reviews have been surprisingly positive, meaning a renewal for a second season may come. (Bustle)
• Saturday Night Live hosts for December have been set, and Jason Bateman is among them. (Deadline) 
• Jeopardy! has a plan to replace Alex Trebek as host, at least temporarily, with a series of rotating hosts. (Yahoo! News)
  
• Pluto TV is the place to be for classic TV fans, as the free streaming service now has new channels featuring Gary Marshall sitcoms, The Beverly Hillbillies, and more. (SitcomsOnline) 

WEEKLY PLANNER (NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 4)

 

• For fans of 30 Rock, there is a marathon on E! (which already started) featuring every episode of the series, that runs through late Monday morning.
  
• Decades has a binge of Vega$ this weekend.
  
• Young Sheldon begins airing on Nick at Nite on Monday night.
• New seasons of MacGyver, Magnum PI, and Blue Bloods arrive on CBS on Friday night.
  

Antenna TV Fall 2020 Schedule, with 2021 Teases; 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards Winners

SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Prepares for More Sunday Night Movies; The Office Arrives on Blu-ray and More Head of the Class DVDs

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing about more plans for the fall season, a South Park special hourlong episode, and something that we haven't heard much about in a while: some new home media releases of sitcoms from the past! Let's get going!

• More Sunday Night Movies is coming to CBS this fall, to use as a holdover since fall dramas aren't ready to go. (Deadline)
• South Park is making a brief "in between seasons) return to the Comedy Central lineup on September 30, with a pandemic themed special. (CNN)
• United We Fall, which quietly arrived on the ABC lineup this summer, is also quietly leaving as it was canceled. (Variety)
• Roku finally reached a deal with NBC Universal to put Peacock onto the streaming device, but the bad news is that if you thought carriage disputes with cable companies and cable networks was a thing that streaming media devices were immune from, then you were way wrong as these negotiations almost lead to other NBC Universal apps being removed from Roku. (Variety) 
  
• The Canadians are about to invade our TV screens... if producers can figure out how to emulate the success that Schitt's Creek had in the United States, at least. (Deadline)
  
• If you want to live like Will did on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, your opportunity to rent the home through Airbnb is here, though good luck getting that opportunity. (Deadline)
• Because every streaming service needs the word Max or Plus on it, CBS All Access will be rebranding as Paramount+. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• The Office has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent months, particularly on streaming media, so it only makes sense that Universal has decided that they now want to release the entire series on Blu-ray, and that happens with the November 10 release of The Office - The Complete Series (Blu-ray). 
• Head of the Class - The Complete Second Season is also coming to DVD on October 27, from Warner Archive.

WEEKLY PLANNER (SEPTEMBER 19 - SEPTEMBER 25)

• The Emmy Awards will air on ABC on Sunday night, although it'll look much different from how it usually looks.
• Decades has a weekend binge of Numb3rs.
• Better late than never, new seasons of ABC's "summer" game shows will debut on Thursday night.
• Also on Thursday night, One Day at a Time comes home to CBS, or at least the third season of the Pop series.

SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Fall Lineup Looking to Include Fewer Sitcoms; Head of the Class Arrives on DVD

• ABC hasn't quite released their fall lineup just yet, but one thing is certain: there will be a lot less space for sitcoms. (Deadline) 
• Deadline has a look back at all of the series we've "lost" this season. (Deadline)
• In case you're wondering, here are the renewals and cancelations of the current season, so far anyway. (Deadline)
• The Lori Loughlin saga is over as she has pleaded guilty in the college admissions scandal. (CNN)
• It used to be that streaming media saved series from other networks, but now we're seeing cable networks save streaming media series, as Adult Swim is doing for the former Netflix series Tuca and Bertie. (The Verge)
• MeTV has announced their summer lineup. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• We haven't had a whole lot of home media news in a while (because not much has been released), but Warner Archive pulled a big surprise on us this week announcing a series that is completely new to DVD: Head of the Class - The Complete First Season. It is to be released on June 9.

WEEKLY PLANNER (MAY 23 - MAY 29)

• Next week is the big week for streaming media, as the much anticipated HBO Max launches on Wednesday.
• Comedy Central has a day of The Office for Monday, while FXX has a day of The Simpsons.
• The Simpsons is "relaunching" on Disney+ on Thursday with the correct aspect ratio, if you want to start binge watching 30 seasons worth of episodes the right way.
• If you haven't already watched it, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend is available on Netflix.
• Decades has a weekend of T.J. Hooker this weekend.

SitcomsOnline Digest: Saturday Night Live to Air SNL at Home Tonight; Friends Reunion Delayed

• With all of these series being produced at home, we never expected Saturday Night Live to try it, but they will tonight. (Vulture)
• A Friends reunion was supposed to be a major feature of the HBO Max launch, but now that it can't be produced right now, it looks like it'll come a little later. (Variety)
• TV production is shutdown because of coronavirus, of course, but there is also a writer's strike looming and it could be damaging to the linear TV industry.  (Deadline)
• The Grey's Anatomy season finale didn't get to have the kind of bang it would normally have. (Deadline)
• MeTV is featuring a month of Mayberry next month. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (APRIL 11 - APRIL 17)

• Matt Houston is the binge on Decades this weekend.
• For kids who are missing school, Head of the Class and Welcome Back, Kotter are on Antenna TV all day this weekend.
• Decades is featuring The Love Boat this weekend as their binge.
• HBO is streaming several series for free right now without a subscription while people are at home, all you have to do is go to HBO Now or HBO Go.
• There is a new Maggie Simpson animated short on Disney+.
• As previously mentioned, Saturday Night Live returns tonight for a new episode, though we aren't sure how that is going to work just yet.

Fri-Yay: Reaction to The Good Place Ending; Antenna TV Brings Back Webster, What's Happening!! and What's Happening Now!!

Antenna TV's Back-to-School with Head of the Class Marathon; Shark Tank's Landmark 10th Season with New Guest Sharks

Antenna TV January 2018 Schedule Includes Gimme a Break! and Coach; Pop Launches Wednesday Comedies in January