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Hulu's Hit-Monkey Trailer Drops; Remembering Character Actor Bill Cobbs

Hulu's Hit-Monkey Season 2 official trailer and key art for the second season has dropped. Season 2 of Hit-Monkey will premiere Monday, July 15 on Hulu. In New York City, Monkey finds a path to escape his life of killing, while Bryce attempts to repair the damage to those he wronged in life. But what will it cost them to undo the past? A Japanese snow monkey, aided by the ghost of an American assassin, goes on a killing-spree, and becomes the famous "killer of killers."

Cast: Leslie Jones, Ally Maki, Cristin Milioti, Olivia Munn, Fred Tatasciore, and Jason Sudeikis Credits: Co-created and executive produced by Josh Gordon & Will Speck. The second season of Hit-Monkey is produced by 20th Television Animation with animation by Floyd County Productions.

Actor Bill Cobbs, who starred in The Slap Maxwell Story, The Gregory Hines Show and The Michael Richards Show, has died. He died at his home in Upland, California, on June 25. Mr. Cobbs was 90.

Cobbs starred as The Dutchman in the 1987-1988 ABC sitcom The Slap Maxwell Story. "Slap" Maxwell (Dabney Coleman) is an egocentric sportswriter for a newspaper called The Ledger, somewhere in the American Southwest. The Dutchman is the friendly bartender at the local tavern. The series also starred Megan Gallagher, Susan Anspach, Brian Smiar and Bill Calvert.

He starred as Phil Drexler in the short-lived 1989 ABC sitcom Homeroom. The series follows Darryl Harper (Darryl Sivad), a highly paid advertising copywriter who decides to quit his job to teach underprivileged kids at P.S. 391, an inner city school in New York City. Darryl's wife Virginia (Penny Johnson) supports his choice but Virginia's father, Phil Drexler does not. The cast included Claude Brooks, Trent Cameron, Jahary Bennett, Billy Dee Willis, Daphne Lyn Jones and Tritia Setoguchi.

Cobbs starred as James Stevenson in the 1997-1998 CBS sitcom The Gregory Hines Show. The series starred Gregory Hines as Ben Stevenson, a publishing agent and widower raising 12-year-old son Matty (Brandon Hammond). He receives advice from his father James. The series also starred Wendell Pierce, Mark Tymchyshyn, Robin Riker and Judith Shelton.

He starred as Jack in short-lived 2000 NBC sitcom The Michael Richards Show. The show revolved around Vic Nardozza (Michael Richards), an inept and clumsy private investigator working for McKay Investigative Services. Grumpy old pro Jack sparred with Kevin Blakely (Tim Meadows) constantly at the office. The cast included William Devane and Amy Farrington.

Cobbs had a recurring role as Tony in 9 episodes of the ABC sitcom The Drew Carey Show from 2002 to 2004. Tony the bus driver served as the smart-alecky "bartender" type to whom Drew could tell his problems.

He had a recurring role as George in 10 episodes of the 2012-2013 NBC sitcom Go On. George is a blind grief-support-group member. The cast included Matthew Perry, Laura Benanti, Julie White, Suzy Nakamura, Tyler James Williams, Brett Gelman, Sarah Baker and John Cho.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Good Times, Baby... I'm Back! (2 episodes), Kate & Allie (2 episodes), Designing Women, Married People, True Colors, Coach, Empty Nest, The Wayans Bros., For Your Love (2 episodes), The Fighting Fitzgeralds, My Wife and Kids (2 episodes), Yes, Dear (2 episodes), Back in the Game, The Carmichael Show and Superior Donuts.

Cobbs had a recurring role as Lewis Coleman in 13 episodes of the 1991-1993 NBC legal drama I'll Fly Away. He starred as Elmer Greentree in the 2000 NBC science fiction series The Others. In 2020, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Daytime Program for his role as Mr. Hendrickson on Dino Dana.

Some of his other television guest appearances included The Equalizer (1985), Spenser: For Hire, L.A. Law, Gabriel's Fire, The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, Northern Exposure, ER (1996), NYPD Blue (2 episodes), Walker, Texas Ranger (1997), L.A. Doctors, The Outer Limits (2 episodes in 1997 and 1999), The Sopranos, The Practice, Touched by an Angel, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, The Division, JAG (4 episodes), Soul Food, Star Trek: Enterprise, One Tree Hill, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2020). He had a recurring role as Judge Rutchland on Rake in 2014. He appeared in 4 episodes of Greenleaf from 2016 to 2017.

He starred as Moses in The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). He played Coach Arthur Chaney in Air Bud (1997). Some of his other film credits included The Hitter (1979) The Brother from Another Planet (1984), The Bodguard (1992), Night at the Museum (2006), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014).

Mr. Cobbs was a fine character actor. He had almost 200 television and film credits over his 50-year career. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment that he brought us. He will be greatly missed.

We also remember actor Kevin Brophy. He starred as the title character in the 1977-1978 ABC drama Lucan. He died on May 11 at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, California, following a 10 year battle with stage IV cancer. Mr. Brophy was 70.

Brophy starred as Lucan in the 1977-1978 ABC drama Lucan. The series follows a 20-year-old man who spent the first 10 years of his life running wild in the forests of northern Minnesota, after being raised by wolves, Lucan is taken to a research institute and taught the ways of human society. The series also starred Don Gordon and John Randolph.

He appeared as Roberts in the M*A*S*H season 8 episode "Life Time" in 1979. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, AfterMASH, New Love American Style, Growing Pains (2 episodes) and Just the Ten of Us.

He played Tony Yeager in the short-lived (2 episodes) 1980 ABC drama The Yeagers, which starred Andy Griffith. Some of his other television guest appearances included The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, (2 episodes), Strike Force, Trapper John, M.D. (3 episodes), Matt Houston (2 episodes), Partners in Crime, Finder of Lost Loves, Zorro (1992), Civil Wars and JAG.

He starred as Peter Bennett in the 1981 supernatural slasher film Hell Night. Illinois-based Ray Fulk, a man who died in July 2012 at the age of 71, bequeathed half of his $1 million estate to the actor in his will, the other half going to his former Hell Night castmate and The Young and the Restless star Peter Barton, despite never meeting them. Fulk, who had no family of his own, was a fan of both actors. The story was featured in a 2015 episode of the Fox Business Network docu-series Strange Inheritance.

Mr. Brophy later worked as a valet who parked cars at the Hotel Bel-Air between 1983 and 2009. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be sorely missed.

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

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Labels: Go On, Hit-Monkey, Hulu, Obits

Hit-Monkey Season 2 Returns July 15; Disney+ Animated Comedy Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2

Hulu has released the first photos of Bryce and Monkey in New York City from the from the upcoming season of Hit-Monkey. Season 2 of Hit-Monkey will premiere Monday, July 15 on Hulu. In New York City, Monkey finds a path to escape his life of killing, while Bryce attempts to repair the damage to those he wronged in life. But what will it cost them to undo the past? A Japanese snow monkey, aided by the ghost of an American assassin, goes on a killing-spree, and becomes the famous "killer of killers." Cast: Leslie Jones, Ally Maki, Cristin Milioti, Olivia Munn, Fred Tatasciore, and Jason Sudeikis. Co-created and executive produced by Josh Gordon & Will Speck. The second season of Hit-Monkey is produced by 20th Television Animation with animation by Floyd County Productions.

The second season of Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Lucasfilm's original animated series, will debut on Disney+ and Disney Jr. on Wednesday, August 14, with the second half of the season coming early 2025 In addition, a series of shorts from Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2 will debut on Disney Jr. and Disney+ on August 2. Set 200 years before "The Phantom Menace," during the High Republic era, "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures" follows Jedi younglings Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, and Nubs as they study the ways of the Force, explore the galaxy, help citizens and creatures in need and learn valuable skills needed to become Jedi along the way. Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2 follows the younglings as they continue their training and embark on even bigger missions across the galaxy. Helping to lead the younglings on these missions is Master Zia's new Padawan, Wes Vinik, and his astromech R0-M1. As they continue their training and grow in the ways of the Force, the young Jedi will travel to new planets with new and old friends and encounter adversaries like The Ganguls, who are growing in their pirate ranks...

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

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Labels: Disney+, Hit-Monkey, Hulu, Star Wars

Hulu Spring and Summer 2024 Slate; Netflix Orders Tyler Perry Drama; Remembering Joe Flaherty

Hulu has announced its originals & exclusive Spring/Summer 2024 programming slate. The slate includes highly anticipated premieres like The Kardashians Season 5, Only Murders in the Building Season 4, Under the Bridge, and Thank You, Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story. New date announcements include Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini, Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer, Hit-Monkey, Futurama, Solar Opposites and Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge. Disney Bundle subscribers will also be able to watch these titles and more via Hulu on Disney+.

Animated comedy Hit-Monkey, which premieres July 15 for a second season, stars the voices of Leslie Jones, Ally Maki, Olivia Munn, Fred Tatasciore, and Jason Sudeikis. Futurama returns for season 12 on July 29, while season five of Solar Opposites premieres August 12. Only Murders in the Building is back in the summer but no date just yet.

Netflix announced the cast of Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black, an all-new series coming soon to Netflix. The series comes from a previously announced creative partnership with Netflix, where Perry will write, direct, and produce feature films and series under a multi-year first-look deal. The 16-episode hour-long drama is written, directed, and produced by Perry. Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black follows two women leading very different lives. While Kimmie is struggling to make a living after her mother kicked her out, and Mallory is running a successful business, they find themselves entangled in each other's lives. Taylor Polidore Williams, Amber Reign Smith, Crystle Stewart, Ricco Ross, Debbi Morgan, Richard Lawson, Steven G. Norfleet, Julian Horton, Terrell Carter, Shannon Wallace, Bryan Tanaka, Joy Rovaris, Xavier Smalls, Charles Malik Whitfield, Tamera "Tee" Kissen, Ursula O. Robinson, Ashley Versher and George Middlebrook are in the cast.

Actor, writer and comedian Joe Flaherty, who starred in Maniac Mansion, Police Academy: The Series and Freaks and Geeks, has died. He died on April 1 after a short illness in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Flaherty was 82.

Flaherty was best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV from 1976 to 1984. It aired in the U.S. on NBC from 1981 to 1983. He played characters such as Big Jim McBob (of Farm Film Report fame), Count Floyd/Floyd Robertson, and station owner/manager Guy Caballero, SCTV's cheap, tyrannical owner and president who, despite being perfectly ambulatory, uses a wheelchair to earn "respect" (i.e., sympathy) from employees and viewers. Flaherty also served as a writer. The series won two Emmy Awards in 1982 and 1983 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program.

He starred as Fred Edison in the 1990-1993 The Family Channel sitcom Maniac Mansion. Maniac Mansion centers around the lives of the Edisons, an American family living in a large mansion in the upscale suburban neighborhood of Cedar Springs. The Edisons consist of patriarch Fred, an eccentric scientist and inventor, his level-headed wife Casey (Deborah Theaker), and their children, teenage genius Tina (Kathleen Robertson), prepubescent Ike (Avi Phillips) and precocious toddler Turner (George Buza). Also living in the Edison mansion are Casey's brother Harry Orca (John Hemphill) and his wife Idella Muckle-Orca (Mary Charlotte-Wilcox). Flaherty also wrote six episodes of the series.

Flaherty starred as Commandant Stuart Hefilfinger in the 1997-1998 CTV and first-run syndicated sitcom Police Academy: The Series, which was a spin-off from the Police Academy series of films. Commandant Hefilfinger is similar to Eric Lassard (George Gaynes) and the head of the academy. The cast included Matt Borlenghi, Rod Crawford, Toby Proctor, Jeremiah Birkett, Heather Campbell, Christine Gonzales, Tony Longo, P. J. Ochlan, Michael Winslow and Larke Miller.

He starred as Harold Weir in the 1999-2000 NBC comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks. Harold is the head of the Weir household. He is married to Jean (Becky Ann Baker) and is the father of Lindsay (Linda Cardellini) and Sam (John Francis Daley). He owns and works at A1 Sporting Goods.

Flaherty starred as Dr. Frank Troutner in the short-lived 2001 NBC sitcom Go Fish. Frank Troutner is married to Annie (Molly Cheek) and is the father of Andy "Fish" (Kieran Culkin) and Pete (Will Friedle).

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included King of Kensington, Married... with Children, Morton & Hayes (also a writer), Dinosaurs (voice for 2 episodes), Nurses, Phenom, Hardball (1994), Dream On, The Louie Show, Ellen, Even Stevens, That '70s Show, Maybe It's Me, Frasier, The King of Queens, American Dad! (voice), Family Guy (voice for 3 episodes) and Call Me Fitz.

He appeared as a Western Union postal worker who delivers Doc Brown's 70-year-old letter to Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II (1989). He starred as Donald the heckler in Happy Gilmore (1996).

Mr. Flaherty was a talented and funny actor. He was very memorable on the far too short-lived Freaks and Geeks. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment that he brought us. He will be greatly missed.

We also remember actor Ron Harper. He starred in the sitcoms Wendy and Me and The Jean Arthur Show. He died at his home in West Hills, Los Angeles on March 21. Mr. Harper was 91.

Harper starred as Jeff Conway in the 1964-1965 ABC sitcom Wendy and Me. Episodes typically revolved around Wendy Conway (Connie Stevens) pulling George Burns (as a somewhat fictionalized version of himself) into comedic situations mostly involving her husband, played by Ron Harper, and other people in the apartment building owned by Burns. The series also starred James T. Callahan, J. Pat O'Malley and Bartlett Robinson.

He starred as Paul Marshall in the short-lived 1966 CBS sitcom The Jean Arthur Show. Paul Marshall is a lawyer who works alongside his mother Patricia Marshall (Jean Arthur). The series also starred Leonard Stone and Richard Conte.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style (2 episodes), Night Stand with Dick Dietrick (2 episodes), Boy Meets World, Malibu, CA (1999) and Two Guys and a Girl.

Harper starred as Det. Bert Kling in the 1961-1962 police drama 87th Precinct. He starred as Lt. Craig "Warden" Garrison in the 1967-1968 ABC World War II drama Garrison's Gorillas. He starred as Colonel Alan Virdon, the human commander of the crash-landed spaceship from 20th Century Earth, in the 1974 CBS science fiction series Planet of the Apes. In 1976, he starred as Uncle Jack Marshall in the third season (1976) of the NBC children's adventure television series Land of the Lost. Some of his soap opera credits included Another World as Taylor Halloway/Halliway, Loving as Charles Hartman, Capitol as Jarrett Morgan/Baxter McCandless and Generations as Peter Whitmore.

His movie credits included roles in Below Utopia (1997), The Odd Couple II (1998), Freedom Strike (1998), Glass Trap (2005) and The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007).

Mr. Harper was a talented and versatile actor. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be sorely missed.

Actor M. Emmet Walsh starred in The Sandy Duncan Show and made many sitcom guest appearances. He died of cardiac arrest at Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, Vermont, on March 19. Mr. Walsh was 88.

Walsh starred as Alex Lembeck in the short-lived 1972 CBS sitcom The Sandy Duncan Show. Alex Lembeck is a motorcycle cop who appointed himself as Sandy Stockton's (Sandy Duncan) chaperone and protector. The series also starred Tom Bosley, Marian Mercer, Pam Zarit, Alfie Wise and Eric Christmas.

He appeared as Colonel Fred Patterson, Jill Taylor's (Patricia Richardson) father, in two episodes of Home Improvement in 1994. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Arnie, Julia (2 episodes), All in the Family, The Jimmy Stewart Show, The Don Rickles Show, The Bob Newhart Show, AfterMASH, The Jackie Thomas Show, Frasier, Charlie Lawrence, 'Til Death and The Righteous Gemstones (2 episodes).

Walsh starred as Ned Platt in the 1989 NBC police drama Unsub. Some of his other television appearances included Ironside, Bonanza, Nichols (5 episodes), McMillan & Wife, The Rockford Files, The Waltons, Baretta (2 episodes), Starsky & Hutch (2 episodes), Little House on the Prairie, Amazing Stories, Tales from the Crypt, The Flash (2 episodes in 1990), Early Edition, The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Ed, The Guardian, Damages (3 episodes), Sneaky Pete (7 episodes as Tex Hopkins) and American Gigolo.

He starred as Captain Bryant in Blade Runner (1982), as private detective Loren Visser in Blood Simple (1984) and as Dr. Joseph Dolan in Fletch (1985).

Mr. Walsh was a fine character actor. He was a familiar face in over 200 films and television series in his career, which spanned seven decades. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be greatly missed.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:15 PM

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Labels: Futurama, Hit-Monkey, Hulu, Netflix, Obits, Only Murders in the Building, Solar Opposites, Tyler Perry