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He is a man of stature. A man of strength. A man who is a hero to every man. And he is coming to COZI TV. He is a man they call Her-man. Standing up for all the Hermans everywhere. It's your time at last, Herman! Your time to come out of the shadows and revel in your Herman-ness! You are the man of the year--the Her-man of the year! It's a year long celebration on COZI TV as they present The Munsters! The series premieres on COZI TV on Monday, October 5, 2015, airing each weeknight at 5pm & 5:30pm. We'll have more info very soon, but this is indeed great news. We can of course expect a marathon on Halloween (Saturday, October 31) as well, but details will follow. There will be a 12-hour marathon, though, and it is certainly going to be a "Munster" mash. The sitcom, epicting the home life of a family of benign monsters, stars Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. So get ready to go back to Mockingbird Lane after over 50 years, as the 1964-66 sitcom will join the COZI TV regular line-up.

The Tia Mowry sitcom Instant Mom is back for its third season. TV Land will air the series Saturdays at 8pm & 8:30pm beginning Saturday, Sept. 19. On the season premiere, forced to face her fear of swimming, Stephanie makes the rest of the family confront their fears leading to an uncomfortable situation on top of an amusement park rollercoaster. 26 episodes were produced for the first season, followed by 20 more in its second season. It is reported that 20 more episodes will air for season three. The sitcom started off on NickMom and Nick at Nite but moved to TV Land late last season. Instant Mom is a comedy series about twenty-something party girl, Stephanie, who trades in cosmos for carpools when she marries an older man, Charlie, with three kids. Stephanie slowly grows into her role as a full-time stepmom while struggling to maintain some sense of her fun-loving, slightly irresponsible life.

Nickelodeon has ordered a 20-episode third season of its hit family comedy Instant Mom for Nick at Nite and NickMom. As we mentioned, beginning Oct. 2, season two of Instant Mom will premiere in its new timeslot on Nick at Nite, Thursdays at 8pm (ET/PT). The series also airs during the adult-targeted NickMom nighttime comedy block on the Nick Jr. channel. The multi-camera, scripted half-hour series features Tia Mowry-Hardrict (The Game, Sister Sister) as Stephanie, a former party girl who becomes a full-time stepmom to three kids when she marries the more traditional Charlie (Michael Boatman, Spin City). Stephanie manages to keep it all together using her own unique style, never losing her sense of fun, and with the help of her mother Maggie (Sheryl Lee Ralph, Moesha), she learns what being a mom really means. Rounding out the cast are Charlie's three kids played by Sydney Park (AwesomenessTV), Tylen Jacob Williams and Damarr Calhoun. Instant Mom is executive-produced by Howard Michael Gould, Aaron Kaplan and Regina Hicks.

FXX will air a primetime marathon of The Simpsons on Thursday, September 11, from 8:00 pm ET/PT through 12:00 am ET/PT, featuring episodes with music that will be showcased at the world premiere of "The Simpsons Take the Bowl!" at the Hollywood Bowl running from September 12 - September 14. Episodes from seasons 4-8 will air in the marathon. "The Simpsons Take the Bowl!," hosted by Hank Azaria, will showcase classic Simpsons clips synchronized with live accompaniment by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, with performances by special guests including Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from creator Matt Groening. Additional special guest appearances by Beverly D'Angelo, Jon Lovitz, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and more. The milestone 26th season of The Simpsons will premiere Sunday, September 28 at 8:00 pm ET/PT on Fox.

We already told you that How I Met Your Mother is launching on Nick at Nite this fall (beginning tonight), but now we have more on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The classic Will Smith sitcom will launch on Monday, Sept. 29 and will air every night at 10:00pm & 10:30pm and in late night at approx. 2:36am and 3:12am (2 episodes). With this addition, the Full House block will go from 8-11pm (6 episodes) to 8-10pm (4 episodes), while Friends block goes from 1:24am-3:48am (4 episodes) to 1:24am-2:36am (2 episodes). George Lopez will remain from 3:48am-7am (6 episodes). How I Met Your Mother, which launches tonight, will air from 11pm-1:24am (4 episodes). The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will also join BET Networks (BET/Centric) this fall, but we will have more on that at a later date, as it will leave TBS and ABC Family.

The season premiere of original sitcom Instant Mom will be on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 8pm, as when Aaron's imaginary friend "Sanders" comes back, Stephanie (Tia Mowry) is worried that she is spending too much time working. After reading up on the subject, Stephanie makes sure Sanders feels welcomed, until he crosses the line. All-new episodes of See Dad Run will follow on Thursdays at 8:30pm starting Oct. 2, with the first one back about David (Scott Baio) inadvertently encourages Joe's favorite teacher to follow his dream of writing, but when David discovers he doesn't cut it as a "beat poetry" substitute, he must find a way to get the teacher back or risk disappointing Joe. Tune in for original action every Thursday this fall beginning at 8pm!

TV Land is picking up an additional 12 episodes of its hit original sitcom The Exes, starring Donald Faison, Wayne Knight, David Alan Basche, Kelly Stables and Kristen Johnston. The episodes will be a part of the series' fourth season, currently in production and set to premiere on Wednesday, November 5 at 10:30pm ET/PT, immediately following the season six premiere of Hot in Cleveland. This season on The Exes, recurring guest star Leah Remini returns as Stuart's (Basche) sister Nicki, who has decided to stay in town much to Haskell's (Knight) delight. After consciously uncoupling last season, Phil (Faison) and Eden (Stables) go their separate ways – Phil back to his ladies' man habits, and Eden on to a new goal – going back to school. As for Holly (Johnston), she decides to work backwards in her love life; she has the date and location all set for her wedding, now she just needs the groom. In addition, we'll see Holly dress in drag to find out if Haskell's new love interest is actually a man pretending to be a woman.

This Mother's Day, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite pays tribute to moms with the coming together of four classic TV mothers – Happy Days Marion Ross, The Brady Bunch's Florence Henderson, Family Ties Meredith Baxter, Sister, Sister's Jackèe – and one classic TV daughter, The Cosby Show's Tempestt Bledsoe who will join star Tia Mowry-Hardrict in an unforgettable episode of Nick at Nite's Instant Mom, premiering next Thursday, May 8 at 8pm (ET/PT). In Instant Mom's "Not Your Mother's Day," Stephanie (Mowry-Hardrict) is excited for her first Mother's Day, but is disappointed when she learns the family intends to celebrate her on Stepmother's Day instead. Stephanie takes her own mother, Maggie (Sheryl Lee Ralph) for a last-minute spa trip to celebrate the holiday and gets some unexpected "mom" advice from a few experts who attempt to cheer her up. All four iconic TV moms chime in about their own experience being a mother, giving a hysterical nod reflecting their classic characters.

Recently picked up for a second season, Instant Mom follows Stephanie (Mowry-Hardrict), a party girl who marries Charlie (Michael Boatman, Spin City) and struggles to maintain some sense of her fun-loving, slightly irresponsible life while managing being a full-time stepmom. Sheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha) stars as Stephanie's overbearing mother Maggie, who is never shy about making known her point of view on parenting or pointing out its superiority to her daughter’s approach.

STARZ announced a two-season, 20-episode greenlight of Blunt Talk, a half-hour scripted comedy series from Media Rights Capital (MRC). The project, from Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, Ted, A Million Ways to Die in the West) and Jonathan Ames (Bored to Death), was picked up straight-to-series with 20 episodes over two seasons, set to air in 2015. Patrick Stewart (X-Men franchise, Ted) will play the lead role of Walter Blunt and also serves as a producer. Patrick Stewart next returns to the big screen reprising his role as 'Professor Charles Xavier' in X-Men: Days of Future Past, out May 23, and stars in the independent comedy-drama, Match, which just premiered to rave reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Blunt Talk is a character-driven comedy revolving around Walter Blunt (Patrick Stewart), a British import intent on conquering the world of American cable news. Through the platform of his nightly interview show, Blunt is on a mission to impart his wisdom and guidance on how Americans should live, think and behave. Besieged by network bosses, a dysfunctional news staff, numerous ex-wives and children of all ages, Blunt's only support is the alcoholic manservant he transplanted from the U.K. to join him in Los Angeles. The series follows the fallout from Blunt's well-intentioned, but mostly misguided decision-making, both on and off the air.

ABC Family announced that the network will give all-new seasons of its hit comedy series, Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy. In addition, the network will continue to grow its slate of original programming with three new drama pilots, Alice in Arabia, Recovery Road and Unstrung. Back to the sitcoms, Melissa & Joey, the hit comedy starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence, has been picked up for a fourth season, which will take the series to over a milestone 100 episodes. Also picked up for a fourth season, Baby Daddy follows five adults at various stages of growing up. Both comedies are currently airing all-new episodes Wednesdays at 8 & 8:30pm, as part of their third season orders. As for the three drama pilots, Alice in Arabia is a high-stakes drama series about a rebellious American teenage girl who, after tragedy befalls her parents, is unknowingly kidnapped by her extended family, who are Saudi Arabian. Based on the popular young adult novel by Blake Nelson, Recovery Road focuses on a teenage girl dealing with addiction. And finally, Unstrung explores the sexy, cutthroat, and emotional stakes of the professional world tour of tennis as brother and sister Luke and Ellie Holt compete to move up the ranks. These three are just pilot orders and have not been picked-up to series yet. There is no word yet on casting either. Stay with us should these pilots move forward, but you can expect more laughs with Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy.

Nick at Nite is moving its two original sitcoms See Dad Run starring Scott Baio and Instant Mom starring Tia Mowry to Thursdays with all-new episodes beginning Thursday, April 3. Instant Mom will lead it off at 8pm, followed by See Dad Run at 8:30pm. Instant Mom will also have a special episode airing after the Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday, March 29 at 9:30pm. Instant Mom has aired 13 of its 26-episode first season order to-date and has already been picked-up for a second season. As for See Dad Run, there are about five episodes left for its 20-episode second season order and has already been picked-up for a third season consisting of 14 episodes. However, Nick at Nite has announced that the third season will be the last for See Dad Run. More info on that will come soon, including the finale date, which will be an hour-long episode. Stay with us.

Fox is making additional changes to its mid-season 2014 schedule. Last season's No. 1 new series, The Following, returns for its thrilling 14-week second season with a special two-night season premiere event, beginning Sunday, Jan. 19 at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT, following the NFC Championship Game, live from 6:00-10:00 PM ET (previously new drama Rake was announced for this slot). The two-night The Following event continues with its time period premiere on Monday, Jan. 20 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, following the season finale of Sleepy Hollow, airing at a special time of 8:00 PM ET/PT (Almost Human is preempted on Jan. 20, but will return Jan. 27). Bold new legal drama Rake will now debut on its regular night and time of Thursday, Jan. 23 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, following an all-new American Idol at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Making his broadcast television series debut, Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine, The Kennedys) plays a brilliant and frustratingly charming criminal defense attorney, whose chaotic and self-destructive personal life often gets in the way of his professional one.

Changes to the Fox Tuesday night comedy block begin after The Mindy Project airs its Winter Finale on Jan. 28 at 9:30PM ET/PT. Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 4, Brooklyn Nine-Nine moves to its new time period premiere at 9:30 PM ET/PT, following all-new installments of New Girl. The new duo will also air after the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 2. Dads continues to kick off Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET/PT until Tuesday, Feb. 11, while a special two-hour Tuesday Idol will air on Feb. 18. Starting Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, Glee makes Tuesdays sing when it moves to a new night and time and returns with all-new episodes for the remainder of the season. All-new installments of New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine follow, until The Mindy Project returns Tuesday, April 1 with a special one-hour event featuring all-new back-to-back episodes. The series returns to its regular time period beginning Tuesday, April 8 at 9:30PM ET/PT following New Girl. As for Brooklyn Nine-Nine, its season finale will be on March 25. As previously announced, new comedy Enlisted will debut Friday, Jan. 10 at 9:30 PM ET/PT following Raising Hope. Additional premiere dates and schedule information to be announced, such as new comedies Surviving Jack and Us & Them.

Nickelodeon has ordered a second season of its hit family comedy for Nick at Nite and NickMom, Instant Mom. In addition, the series, starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict (Sister Sister, Tia & Tamera), has also been greenlit for six additional episodes to add to its first season, bringing the season total to 26 episodes. The second season order will be for 20 episodes. The multi-camera, scripted half-hour series features Mowry-Hardrict as Stephanie, a party girl who trades in Cosmos for carpools when she marries Charlie (Michael Boatman, Spin City), who already has three kids. Airing regularly on Nick at Nite Sundays at 8:30 pm (ET/PT), the series also airs on the adult-targeted NickMom comedy block on the Nick Jr. channel. Instant Mom continues to be a hit on Nick at Nite posting year over year gains with Adults 18-49 (0.31 rtg/336K viewers, +15%) and Women 18-49 (0.43 rtg/237K viewers, +23%) and drawing 1.2 million total viewers per episode, since its Sept. 29 premiere. Additionally, the series launch on NickMom that same night was the block's highest-rated premiere ever with W18-49 and total viewers.

The series follows Stephanie as she struggles to maintain some sense of her fun-loving, slightly irresponsible life while managing being a full-time stepmom. Sheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha) stars as Stephanie's mother Maggie, and rounding out the cast are Charlie's three kids played by Sydney Park (CSI: NY), Tylen Jacob Williams and Damarr Calhoun. Instant Mom is executive-produced by Howard Michael Gould and Aaron Kaplan.

Meanwhile, Lifetime is set to scare up a second season of its new freshman drama Witches of East End (#WitchesofEastEnd), starring Emmy(R) Award-winner Julia Ormond, Mädchen Amick, Jenna Dewan Tatum and Rachel Boston as a family of witches living in the secluded seaside town of East Haven, with a 13 episode order for a 2014 return. Based on Melissa de la Cruz's New York Times best-selling novel, Witches of East End centers on the mysterious Beauchamp family: free-spirited artist Joanna (Ormond) and her two grown daughters, wild-child bartender Freya (Dewan Tatum) and shy librarian Ingrid (Boston), both of whom are unaware that they are gifted (and cursed) with a magical birthright. Freya is recently engaged to the man of her dreams, wealthy playboy Dash Gardiner (Eric Winter), but when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Dash's troubled, enigmatic brother Killian (Daniel DiTomasso), bizarre occurrences begin to manifest. Meanwhile, Joanna's long-estranged sister Wendy (Amick) shows up with a warning that could change the Beauchamps' fate forever, forcing Joanna to reveal to her daughters they are, indeed, immortal witches who possess great untapped powers. Witches of East End also stars Jason George and Oscar(R) and Golden Globe(R) Award nominee Virginia Madsen as recurring players.

One of Lifetime's youngest skewing scripted series ever, with a median age of 46, Witches of East End is averaging 3.0 million Total Viewers, 1.7 million Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 viewers, and 1.3 million Women 18-49 and Women 25-54 viewers on a Live+7 basis through five weeks. The series' first season will conclude on Sunday, December 15 at 10:00pm ET/PT with its tenth episode.

Nick at Nite's original Sunday night lineup continues to post gains in the ratings: See Dad Run (Nov. 10 at 8p.m.) drew 1.2M total viewers and posted double-digit increases with Adults 18-49 (0.3 rtg/328K, +11% in delivery), Kids 2-11 (1.7 rtg/547K, +21%) and Kids 6-11 (2.1 rtg/416K, +17%). Instant Mom (8:30 p.m. ET) posted +50% delivery gains with Adults 18-49 (0.3 rtg/292K) and grew its ratings double digits with Kids 6-11 (1.6 rtg/307K, +14%). Comparing it to the previous week...See Dad Run (Nov. 3 at 8p.m.) drew 1.4M total viewers and posted double-digit increases with Adults 18-49 (0.4 rtg/466K, +33%), Kids 2-11 (2.0 rtg/657K, +54%) and Kids 6-11 (2.0 rtg/402K, +25%). Instant Mom (8:30 p.m. ET) averaged 1.3M total viewers and posted +14% delivery gains with Adults 18-49 (0.4 rtg/449K), a +50% gain in rating among Women 18-49 (0.6 etg/338K) and grew its ratings triple digits with Kids 2-11 (1.8 rtg/579K, +125%) and Kids 6-11 (1.9 rtg/383K, +111%).

See Dad Run features David Hobbs (Scott Baio) who has spent the last decade playing the perfect father on one of TV's biggest sitcoms. But when the series ends and his wife resumes her own television career, he finds himself cast in his most challenging role to date: handling the day-to-day needs of three kids who've grown accustomed to not having him around. David soon learns that playing a dad on TV is child's play compared to the real thing. Instant Mom is a multi-camera, scripted half-hour series features Tia Mowry-Hardrict as Stephanie, a party girl who trades in Cosmos for carpools when she marries Charlie (Michael Boatman), who already has three kids. Sheryl Lee Ralph also stars as Stephanie's mother Maggie, and rounding out the cast are Charlie's three kids played by Sydney Park, Tylen Williams and Damarr Calhoun.

CBS announced the new premiere date for the action thriller Intelligence, which will have a special preview on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 9:00 PM ET/PT following an original episode of NCIS. It will then premiere and move to its regular Monday at 10:00PM ET/PT time period starting on Jan. 13. Intelligence stars Josh Holloway as a high-tech intelligence operative enhanced with a super-computer microchip in his brain. With this implant, Gabriel is the first human ever to be connected directly into the global information grid. He can hack into any data center and access key intel in the fight to protect the United States from its enemies. In her highly anticipated return to network television, Marg Helgenberger stars as Lillian Strand, the Director of the elite government cyber-security agency who supports Gabriel and oversees the unit's missions. Strand assigns Riley Neal (Meghan Ory), a Secret Service agent, to protect Gabriel from outside threats, as well as from his appetite for reckless, unpredictable behavior and disregard for protocol.

The current Monday at 10pm series is Hostages but that series has struggled mightily in the ratings. Hostages will finish its 15 episode season with a special two-hour season finale on Monday, Jan. 6 from 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT.

This season, NBC has two sitcoms on their Thursday night lineup with stars from past hits on their Thursday night lineup. The latest is Sean Saves the World, a sitcom starring Sean Hayes as a divorced father (who also happens to be gay) dealing with raising a teenage daughter, a busy work life, and a meddling mother who just can't stay out of his life.

Cast Details:

Sean Hayes (Sean) is best known for his role as Jack in the series Will & Grace. He also serves as executive producer for the series, and is also as an executive producer of popular series including Grimm, Hot in Cleveland, and The Soul Man.

Linda Lavin (Lorna) is best known for her role as Alice in the popular TV series Alice, which ran from 1976 until 1985 on CBS. She began her career on Broadway, and has appeared in other series including Barney Miller, Conrad Bloom, and Room for Two.

Samantha Isler (Ellie) was born in Tulsa, OK, and has appeared in roles in the films Home Run and No One Knows.

Thomas Lennon (Max) is a comedian and writer who is best known for his role as Lieutenant Jim Dangle in the series Reno 911. He has appeared in cameo appearances in several films.

Megan Hilty (Liz) is a stage and television actress who most recently starred in the series Smash. She has had guest roles in Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Louie, and Eli Stone.

"Pilot" (airs Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 9:00PM ET/PT)

In the pilot episode, we meet Sean (Sean Hayes), a divorced dad who is busy at life with his career and with his constantly interfering mother, Lorna (Linda Lavin). Things get even more complicated now that he has full custody of his daughter, Ellie (Samantha Isler), especially since she has just started high school and is growing up. In the pilot, we get a glimpse into Sean's life, and some of the complications that arise as he tries to juggle all of this, including having to go out of his way to ensure he is spending time with his daughter.

"Busted" (airs Thursday, October 10, 2013 at 9:00 ET/PT)

In the second episode of the series, Sean has to face facts when he realizes that his daughter is growing up, and like many single sitcom fathers before him, he faces the problem that Ellie needs a bra. So this leaves him to have to turn to one of the women in his life: mother Lorna or friend Liz (Megan Hilty). Unfortunately, chaos ensues when he decides to let both of them take part in this experience.

"Date Expectations" (airs Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 9:00 ET/PT)

Sean has been out of the dating pool for quite some time, and now it is time for him to reenter it, when he is set up on a blind date with a periodontist. But if he wasn't already a wreck in preparing for this date, the timing couldn't be worse, as Ellie goes to a party and loses her cell phone along the way (it doesn't help that he is tracking her by GPS) and Lorna barges in on the date over her concern when she can't get in touch with Ellie. Meanwhile, back at the office, some classic commercials featuring Sean and Lorna in bed with one another... literally... cause embarrassment at both work and home for Sean.

It feels like broken relationships have been a huge theme in some of this season's newest sitcoms, whether they be broken engagements, divorces, separations, or (in this case) the child from a marriage that was never meant to be. I don't doubt at all that such an arrangement for a sitcom is not viable. The idea behind this sitcom is very much workable, but for some reason, it just doesn't seem to work here.

Perhaps a lot of my criticism is fueled from the pilot episode. I've watched a lot of pilot episodes where we are slowly and subtly explained what the background is, and why we are where we are... but somehow, this one just felt incredibly forced. It all started father-daughter conversation where both participants in the conversation knew exactly what was going on, but felt the need to just verbally explain it to one another. From that point on, the pilot seemed to drag on and was not at all the most exciting thing to sit through. It didn't help that there really weren't any big laughs in it. About the only redeeming quality was seeing Linda Lavin on TV, but that alone is a novelty that couldn't possibly get a viewer through an entire season.

The second episode, "Busted," did get a little bit better, with the traditional father-daughter moment of a single father trying to get a bra for his daughter (Punky Brewster and Who's the Boss? both did this), but it still didn't seem to be all that well written as some of those series were when they handled the topic.

"Date Expectations" is a dating episode, something that I imagine that this series will try a lot, where Sean goes on a date after being "out of the pool" for quite some time, and of course, in typical sitcom fashion, everything goes wrong. Honestly, this episode wasn't bad and did provide a few laughs, but not enough to compensate for the lack thereof in the previous two.

Finally, the real problem is that this show is pretty much the "odd guy" in the room. NBC has made a reputation for itself in the past decade (particularly when series such as Scrubs and The Office were an integral part of the network) as a network of single-camera sitcoms. I would love to see them get into more multi-camera sitcoms, as this one is, but the problem is that they tend to not fit in at all when they are completely surrounded by single-camera sitcoms. It would take a really good sitcom to break that barrier, and I'm not sure that this one fits that criteria.

There is one positive among all of this, though. The casting of the series is mostly well done, and even Sean Hayes comes off as a character who is likeable in this series.

Can Sean save the world, or even the NBC Thursday night lineup? I don't think so. I really wanted to like this show, especially given that it brings Linda Lavin back to TV in a regular role, but this show feels too "forced" and has the same feeling that a long string of unsuccessful NBC sitcoms of the late 90s had (remember, NBC may have been a powerhouse back then, but the strengths were in a few memorable sitcoms, and the rest is now an afterthought). That being said, this is airing on NBC, after all. I expect them to give it a while to try to make it more enjoyable, and who knows, maybe the fortunes of this series could change. Unfortunately, I don't see it saving anything.

NBC.com Official Site

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Sean Saves the World Photo Gallery

The Michael J. Fox Show - Thursdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Thursday, September 26, 2013 at 9:00PM and 9:30PM ET/PT

by Todd

Look who's making the news again. One of NY's most beloved news anchors, Mike Henry (Michael J. Fox, Spin City, Family Ties), put his career on hold to spend more time with his family and focus on his health after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. But now five years later, with the kids busy growing up and Mike growing restless, it just might be time for him to get back to work. Having never wanted Mike to leave in the first place, his old boss Harris Green (Wendell Pierce, Treme, The Wire) jumped at the chance to get him back on TV. The trick, as it's always been, was to make Mike think it was his idea. After several - okay, many - failed attempts, Mike's family, anxious to see him out of the house, finally succeeded in getting him to "run into" Green. Now their plan is in motion. He'll be back to juggling home, family and career, just like the old days - only better.

Michael J. Fox as Mike Henry
Betsy Brandt as Annie Henry
Conor Romero as Ian Henry
Juliette Goglia as Eve Henry
Jack Gore as Graham Henry
Katie Finneran as Leigh Henry
Wendell Pierce as Harris Green
Ana Nogueria as Kay Costa

Michael J. Fox (Mike Henry) won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for his role as Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties. He returned to television in 1996 as Mike Flaherty in Spin City where he earned an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. His many film credits include the Back to the Future trilogy, The Hard Way, Doc Hollywood, The Secret of My Success, Bright Lights, Big City, Light of Day, Teen Wolf, Casualties of War, Life with Mikey, For Love or Money, The American President, Greedy, The Frighteners and Mars Attacks!

Betsy Brandt (Annie Henry) is best known for her role as Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad. Her television credits include Private Practice, Boston Legal, CSI, NCIS, Parenthood, ER, Fairly Legal and Without a Trace.

Conor Romero (Ian Henry) has guest starred in Person of Interest. His film credits include The Cake Eaters, American Gangster and Rivers Wash Over Me.

Juliette Goglia (Eve Henry) is best known for portraying Sierra in That's So Raven and Hannah West in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Her other television credits include Joan of Arcadia, Two and a Half Men, Vanished, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Shake It Up and Good Luck Charlie.

Jack Gore (Graham Henry) has guest starred in 30 Rock and appeared in the film We Are What We Are.

Katie Finneran (Leigh Henry) recently co-starred in I Hate My Teenage Daughter. Her other television credits include Wonderfalls, The Inside, Bram and Alice, Frasier, Sex and the City and Oz.

Wendell Pierce (Harris Green) is best known for his portrayal of Det. Bunk Moreland on five critically acclaimed seasons of The Wire.. He played trombonist Antoine Batiste in Treme. His other television credits include The Weber Show, The Gregory Hines Show, Maloney, The Brian Benben Show, Num3rs, Law & Order, Third Watch, New York Undercover and I'll Fly Away.

Ana Nogueria (Kay Costa) has appeared in television shows such as The Battery's Down, Baby Daddy and Blue Bloods.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (airs Thursday, September 26 at 9:00PM ET/PT)
After battling Parkinson's disease, New York newsman Mike Henry is ready to return to work.

In the pilot episode, we meet Mike Henry and his family. His daughter, Eve, records her father and other family members describing him for her school project. Mike cooks dinner for his family, but they have other plans. Annie leaves for work and asks Mike to take the kids to school. Mike is recognized by several people on the street and happens to run into his former boss and news director Harris Green. Harris tells him he should come back to work. Mike and Annie talk about him going back to work. The next day they are scheduled to receive a dishwasher. After his medicine doesn't kick in, Mike accidentally dials 911. The cops respond to the call 45 minutes later.

Later that night, Mike makes an announcement to the family that he's thinking about going back to work. The next day Harris walks Mike into an exploratory meeting where he meets Kay, a segment producer. Mike also runs into Matt Lauer and views a promo of him returning to the TV station. Meanwhile, Eve's video of her father is shown in the classroom, but the teacher doesn't care for it. Eve tells Ian that her teacher failed her on the school project because he thinks she's a phony. Mike later tells Annie that he is back in. He covers a few news stories, including talking to a councilman and a fire. Harris tells Mike that the Today show wants Mike to introduce his story about the 911 scandal on the Today Show. Mike's story is interrupted by some breaking news, however. Harris and Annie then talk about how their plan of having Harris run into Mike worked. The episode concludes with a nice family moment.

"Neigbhor" (airs Thursday, September 26 at 9:30PM ET/PT)
At Annie's request, Mike confronts a noisy (and attractive) upstairs neighbor (guest star Tracy Pollan), who seems to develop a bit of a crush on him. Though Annie thinks it's cute, Mike refuses to admit he enjoys the added attention. To Eve's chagrin, Ian tries to court her new friend from school. After enjoying the perks of being mistaken for a single mom during a day out with Graham, Leigh considers letting the ruse play out a little longer.

Analysis:

Michael J. Fox makes his return to NBC in this single-camera comedy. He will also serve as an executive producer with Sam Laybourne and Will Gluck. The show is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Olive Bridge Entertainment. The Michael J. Fox show was the first new sitcom to be scheduled for the 2013-14 season. It received a straight-to-series order for a full season of 22 episodes in August 2012. The series also stars Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad), Conor Romero (American Gangster), Juliette Goglia (Easy A), Jack Gore and Katie Finneran (I Hate My Teenage Daughter).

The pilot episode introduces us to Mike Henry and his family. Their daughter, Eve, has a school project and uses her phone camera to record the family members describing their father. Annie arranges for Mike's former news director and boss Harris Green to run into Mike on the street. Mike eventually accepts the offer to return to the TV station. Overall, it's a decent pilot that provides the necessary premise of the show and introduction to the characters. The chemistry between the family members isn't really there yet. Although it has some heartwarming family moments, there really aren't many laugh-out-loud lines or scenes. There are quite a few jokes and references to Parkinson's disease. They aren't done in a mean way. They just show how one person accepts and deals with the disease. There were far fewer references to Parkinson's in the other episodes available for review.

In the second episode airing tonight, Neighbor, a noisy upstairs neighbor causes a conflict between Mike and Annie. Michael J. Fox's real life wife Tracy Pollan guest stars as Kelly. There's an instant spark between them that reminds me of when they first met on Family Ties. Fox and Brandt just seem to lack the same kind of chemistry as a married couple in the first couple of episodes. Maybe that is something they can develop as they work together more. The secondary story involves Eve inviting her new friend Reese from school who she thinks may be a lesbian. Ian tries to court her without much success. The third storyline has Leigh taking Graham to a park to talk to other moms for a story she is writing for Us Weekly. This episode focuses more on Mike's family life. There is just one scene at the newsroom. The scenes with Tracy Pollan are the highlight of the episode. There are some funny moments in the second episode, but the show still has more room to grow.

They've assembled a nice cast. Other than Michael J. Fox, Wendell Pierce and Katie Finneran, the cast lacks many television comedy credits. Michael J. Fox still has it. He has always had a gift of comedy. Parkinson's has just sadly slowed him down in recent years, but he appears re-energized here. Fans may be disappointed he's not appearing as a character like Alex P. Keaton or Mike Flaherty, but he's playing another very likable character and a good family man. Betsy Brandt was a bit of a surprise choice to play Annie because she's mostly known for her work in dramas. Wendell Pierce plays a very funny character. He's a bit underused in the first few episodes. I would like to see more scenes at the newsroom with him. Juliette Goglia is the standout among the actors playing the children. She shows some good comedic and dramatic skills. Katie Finneran is a fine actress, but I find her character to be a bit annoying and unnecessary. In other casting news, Anne Heche is set to appear in an upcoming multi-episode arc as Mike's nemesis and the new anchor at the TV station, Susan Rodriguez-Jones. Candice Bergen and Charles Grodin are also scheduled to appear as Mike's parents as guest stars and potentially in recurring roles.

Conclusion:


Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, September 26, 2013 at 9:00PM and 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

The Michael J. Fox Show Photo Gallery

Preview:

Buckle up for more belly laughs as NickMom premieres the second season of the stand-up comedy series, NickMom Night Out, on Monday, Oct. 14, at 10 pm (all times ET/PT). Hosted by Sherri Shepherd (The View) and taped in front of a live studio audience in New York City, the series features stand-up comedians putting a spotlight on the chaos and hilarity that comes with being a parent. Previous NickMom Night Out hosts include Tisha Campbell-Martin (LA), Judy Gold (NY), Caroline Rhea (Orlando, Fla.), and Bonnie McFarlane (Chicago). NickMom Night Out is executive produced by Bob Mittenthal (Double Dare), co-executive produced by Brian Baldinger and Jim Burns (co-creator MTV Unplugged) serves as consulting producer. NickMom Night Out season two launches with a premiere week (Mon, Oct. 14 - Saturday, Oct. 19, at 10 pm), followed by weekly premieres every Saturday Oct. 26 - Nov. 30, at 10 pm.

And as a reminder, Instant Mom, the new original live-action family sitcom starring and produced by Tia Mowry-Hardrict (Sister Sister, Tia & Tamera), will join the NickMom lineup on Sunday (Sept. 29) at 10 pm (ET/PT). The multi-camera, scripted half-hour series features Mowry-Hardrict as Stephanie, a party girl who trades in Cosmos for carpools when she marries Charlie (Michael Boatman, Spin City), who already has three kids. Sheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha) stars as Stephanie's mother Maggie, and rounding out the cast are Charlie's three kids played by Sydney Park (CSI: NY), Tylen Williams and Damarr Calhoun. Instant Mom will premiere first on Sundays at 8:30 p.m. on Nick at Nite. Additionally, new seasons of talk/variety show Parental Discretion with Stefanie Wilder-Taylor and docu-comedy Take Me To Your Mother starring Andrea Rosen will roll out in 2014.

Nick at Nite will premiere Instant Mom, the brand-new, live-action family sitcom starring and produced by Tia Mowry-Hardrict (star of STYLE Network's hit series Tia & Tamera and the hit '90s comedy Sister Sister), on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 8:30 pm, following original sitcom See Dad Run (all times ET/PT). The multi-camera, scripted half-hour series features Mowry-Hardrict as Stephanie, a party girl who trades in Cosmos for carpools when she marries Charlie (Michael Boatman, Spin City), who already has three kids. Airing regularly on Nick at Nite Sundays at 8:30 pm (ET/PT), the series also will air on the adult-targeted NickMom comedy block on the Nick Jr. channel at 10pm. In support of the Sept. 29 premiere, NickMom.com has launched its Instant Mom show site, which includes trailers, character information and bonus video features. Full episodes will be made available after each premiere. Editorial support on NickatNite.com will also drive to Nickmom.com. Episodes will be available for purchase the day following each premiere on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Samsung Media Hub, Xbox Video and Vudu. Viewers can keep up with the show on Twitter by following the Instant Mom page at @InstantMomTV and the Nick@Nite page at @nickatnitetv and by liking the Instant Mom and Nick@Nite Facebook pages.

Instant Mom follows Stephanie as she struggles to maintain some sense of her fun-loving, slightly irresponsible life while managing being a full-time stepmom. Sheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha) stars as Stephanie's mother Maggie, and rounding out the cast are Charlie's three kids played by Sydney Park (CSI: NY), Tylen Williams and Damarr Calhoun. The season will find Stephanie learning what being a mom is all about and doing things her way: from attempting to get more involved by being on the parents' dance committee to starting an anonymous blog to planning a family "staycation" – often with far from perfect results.


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of Sept. 9-13, 2013, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, September 9, 2013

• Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Watch Steve on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC. He will also be on New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm.
• Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Chris Rock (Everybody Hates Chris) - Chris appears on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell on FXX at 11pm.
• Leah Remini (The King of Queens/Family Tools) - Leah visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Brandy Norwood (The Game/Moesha) - Brandy is a guest on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael and Katie Couric surprise several deserving people from recent newsmaking headlines on Katie, so check your local listings.
• Billy Crystal (Soap) - Billy talks about his book, Still Foolin 'Em, on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
• Ron Howard (Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) - Ron and the cast of his new movie Rush will be on NBC's Today between 7-9am.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

• Billy Crystal (Soap) - Catch Billy on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Anna Faris (Mom) - Anna is a guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• David Cross (Arrested Development) - David visits Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Valerie Harper (Rhoda/The Mary Tyler Moore Show/Valerie) - Valerie chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback/Web Therapy) - Lisa drops by Arsenio, so check your local listings.
• Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah guests on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Reed Alexander (iCarly) - Reed appears on The Better Show, so check your local listings.
• Eden Sher (The Middle) - Eden returns with news about the Emotionary, a unique dictionary, on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am.
• Vicki Lawrence (Mama's Family) - Vicki will be on NBC's Today between 7-9am to promote the new release of Mama's Family - The Complete Series on DVD. She will also be on Bloomberg TV. Finally, she will be on ABC News Now What's the Buzz?

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) - Watch Joseph on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah drops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Charlie Sheen (Anger Management/Two and a Half Men/Spin City) - Charlie appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Max Greenfield (New Girl/Modern Men) - Max visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• David Cross (Arrested Development) - David is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
• Craig Ferguson (The Drew Carey Show) - Craig stops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jason Biggs (Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason guests on Katie, so check your local listings.
• Eve (Eve) - Eve talks about interracial dating and being back on tour on Katie, so check your local listings.
• George Lopez (George Lopez) - Tune in to see George on Arsenio, so check your local listings.
• Jenny McCarthy (Jenny/Two and Half Men) - Jenny is a guest on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.
• Vicki Lawrence (Mama's Family) - Vicki appears as her Mama's Family character Mama on Fox & Friends on Fox News Channel between 6-9am. She will also appear as herself on Morning Joe on MSNBC between 6-9am.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Catch Alec on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Billy Crystal (Soap) - Billy talks about his career and the Broadway revival of his autobiographical one-man show on Katie, so check your local listings. He will also be on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
• Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/One Day at a Time) - Valerie visits and cooks up her favorite fall dishes on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains) - Kirk will be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.

Friday, September 13, 2013

• Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Watch Zooey on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Terry Crews (Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Seth Green (Dads/Greg the Bunny) - Seth is a guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Valerie Harper (Rhoda/The Mary Tyler Moore Show/Valerie) - Valerie stops by to share a health update and talk Dancing with the Stars on Katie, so check your local listings.
• Jenny McCarthy (Jenny/Two and a Half Men) - Jenny joins the Chew Crew on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Vicki Lawrence (Mama's Family) - Vicki wraps up her appearances this week on The Better Show, so check your local listings.

Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Welcome to the 2013 edition of our annual look at the fall schedules for cable and digital TV! We are launching this schedule barrage with ABC Family! As we all know, they will be adding reruns of The Middle to its line-up. Now we know when and what times! The network will launch the comedy on Monday, September 16, 2013 with a marathon from 11am-7pm. It will regularly air weekdays from 5-7pm during family time (though at times, the 6pm hour could be preempted for a long movie or original encore). On weekends, it will air in the mornings from 7-8am. The Middle will also be coming to local broadcast syndication on Sept. 16, so check your local listings (such as in NY on WPIX) and in March 2014 The Hallmark Channel will also run the series. The series premiered in fall 2009 on ABC (Wednesdays at 8PM) and is currently entering its fifth season on ABC. The Middle stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Chris Kattan as Bob. It is created and is executive produced by Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline.

Elsewhere on ABC Family September 2013, there will be many other schedule changes during the day starting Sept. 16. A couple sitcoms will return (8 Simple Rules and 10 Things I Hate About You), while one (Full House) will be off the schedule. Boy Meets World will move to afternoons, as the series moves out of the mornings and to 2-4pm, replacing Reba. That sitcom will slide into the 4pm hour and will be leading into The Middle. The afternoon staple That '70s Show will now move to mornings from 7:30am-9:30am, since Reba/The Middle will air late afternoon/early evening. AFV is off the line-up completely, as it was airing at 6pm. Leading off at 8am will be an episode of the ABC Family original sitcom 10 Things I Hate About You. This could be airing just temporary, since the series didn't have many episodes. After the 700 Club programming, Gilmore Girls remains at 11am. At noon, an hour of Reba will be added replacing Full House, while from 1-2pm the John Ritter comedy 8 Simple Rules returns to the schedule, also replacing Full House, as that series will be off the line-up.

In primetime, there will be no original series to start the fall, but more news on original series will come soon. Movies will air from 7-11pm each weeknight until then starting Sept. 16. Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy will have their mid-season finales on Wednesday, Sept. 4 from 8-9pm and will return likely in early 2014 or late 2013 for the remaining episodes of their season. A Melissa & Joey Labor Day marathon will air on Sept. 2 from 12pm-4:30pm and a mini-marathon on finale day on Sept. 4 from 6-8pm. Baby Daddy will have a marathon on Sept. 4 from 12-6pm. Other September original finales are The Vineyard on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 9 and Spell-Mageddon on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 9. In late night, 700 Club is at 11 leading into The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air at 12 midnight. Starting Sept. 30, Fresh Prince will expand to two-hours airing from 12-2am. That's all for now, stay tuned if anything changes in October and any news on original series. We know that Pretty Little Liars will have its annual Halloween special in October, so stay tuned for a date on that along with the premiere of the spin-off series Ravenswood.

View the full ABC Family September 2013 schedule with The Middle.


The TCA Summer 2013 press tour continued this weekend, so we will give you a recap of what you missed. On Friday it was the third and final day for the cable portion, while on Saturday it was the first day of broadcast with NBC up first. For cable, NickMom announced that this fall they will premiere Instant Mom, its first original scripted comedy series, starring and produced by Tia Mowry-Hardrict (Sister, Sister). The half-hour, multi-camera series features Mowry-Hardrict as Stephanie, a party girl who trades in Cosmos for carpools when she marries Charlie (Michael Boatman, Spin City), who already has three kids. The series is picked up for 13 episodes and will premiere in the primetime NickMom block on the Nick Jr. channel, with encore episodes airing on Nick at Nite. No official premiere date and time has been announced just yet. Moving on to Lifetime, the witching hour is coming...get ready to meet the Beauchamps, the Witches of East End... Lifetime's newest drama, Witches of East End, featuring an all-star-cast headlined by Emmy Award-winner Julia Ormond (Temple Grandin, Mad Men), Mädchen Amick (Mad Men, Damages), Jenna Dewan Tatum (American Horror Story) and Rachel Boston (In Plain Sight) as a family of witches living in the secluded seaside town of East Haven, will cast its spell beginning Sunday, October 6, at 10:00pm ET/PT following the season finale of Devious Maids in late September. Also set to star are Eric Winter (The Mentalist), Daniel DiTomasso (CSI), Jason George (Mistresses, Grey's Anatomy) and Oscar and Golden Globe Award nominee Virginia Madsen (Sideways, Anna Nicole).

Onto NBC, in ramping up its commitment to long-form and event limited series programming along the lines of A.D.: After the Bible, which was announced last month (but won't premiere until the 2014-15 season), NBC is in early development on a handful of new projects, including a behind-the-scenes look at Hillary Rodham Clinton, an updated retelling of Rosemary's Baby, Stephen King's Tommyknockers and Plymouth, based on the epic story of the Mayflower's landing in America. The four-hour miniseries titled Hillary, based on the life of former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, stars Diane Lane and will be written and directed by Oscar nominee Courtney Hunt. Rosemary's Baby is a four-hour updated retelling of the bestselling novel by Ira Levin that was later adapted as a feature film about devil worship and the complex relationship between a young husband and wife. Stephen King's Tommyknockers is based on the renown author's chilling 1987 novel about how the residents of a small Maine town deal with what they believe is an alien spacecraft that has landed nearby. Limited series Plymouth, which examines the challenges and drama of the Pilgrims' journey across the Atlantic and the difficulties of settling in a new country, will be executive produced by Mark Burnett and Anne Thomopolous of Mark Burnett Productions, and Gina Matthews and Grant Sharbo. And finally for NBC, NBC Sports Group announced a new documentary on former Olympic figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding featuring an exclusive interview of Kerrigan that will air during its Sochi Winter Olympics coverage.

Yesterday had a full day for Reelz TV, but we aren't covering it. CBS will continue the broadcast portion today, so come on back for a recap tomorrow on the blog for any notable highlights.

NickMom has ordered 13 episodes of Instant Mom (working title), the primetime TV block's first original scripted comedy series, starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict. The half-hour, multi-camera series is set to premiere later this year on NickMom and repeat on Nick at Nite. The series was originally set for Nick at Nite, as we mentioned last summer, but now it will premiere on NickMom and encore on Nick at Nite. The network is currently airing reruns of Yes, Dear after 10pm to test the sitcom waters. NickMom, as you know, is a new primetime ad-supported TV block for moms that airs on the Nick Jr. channel. The block features a mix of original long and short-form programming, including talk shows, stand-up and sketch comedy, docu-series and more. As for this sitcom, production will commence in Los Angeles this Spring with the series premiere scheduled for later in 2013. Stay tuned for premiere date and time.

Instant Mom follows young party girl Stephanie (Mowry-Hardrict) who trades in cosmos for carpools when she marries an older man, Charlie (Michael Boatman, Spin City), with three kids. Stephanie slowly grows into her role as a full-time stepmom while struggling to maintain some sense of her fun-loving, slightly irresponsible life. Sheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha) stars as Stephanie's mother Maggie and rounding out the cast are the three kids played by Sydney Park, Tylen Williams and Damarr Calhoun. The series is created by Warren Bell (Victorious, According to Jim) and Jessica Butler (In Plain Sight) and executive-produced by Howard Gould (The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Cybil) and Aaron Kaplan (Nickelodeon's Wendell & Vinnie, The Neighbors). View behind the scenes images from the pilot taping.



On the next...New Girl:
By: Vincent

Fox's Tuesday adorkable sitcom starring Zooey Deschanel airs on a special night tonight, Thursday at 9:00pm after American Idol and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (April 4). Will they or won't they? In the episode airing tonight, "First Date," Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson), who are caught between friendship and something more, try to break out of relationship-limbo by going on a "first" date. Once Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Winston (Lamorne Morris) realize a full-on Jess/Nick romance might be happening, they swoop in to try to sabotage the date. To complicate matters even further, Jess and Nick run into Jess' ex-boyfriend, Russell (guest star Dermot Mulroney), on their night out.

This is a pretty monumental episode of New Girl, with Nick and Jess finally addressing their feelings for each other and going out on a date. The show has played their relationship perfectly up to this point - pretty much every sitcom these days brings in a "will they/won't they" arc at some point, but New Girl's is the most compelling one in a long time. A lot of people have compared Nick and Jess to Sam and Diane from Cheers - and I can definitely see the comparison. They're simultaneously fascinated by and frustrated with each other, and they could just as easily be a disastrous couple as they could a perfect one. That's what's made their growing attraction to each other so interesting to watch, and it's all on perfect display in Date Night. Throw in a very funny subplot with Schmidt and Winston, and you have yet another excellent episode in what's been an incredibly strong sophomore season. B+

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