SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

A stellar line-up of Hollywood talent will help to make the holiday season bright when they guest-host The Late Late Show with James Corden Monday, Dec. 9 - Wednesday, Dec. 18 (12:37-1:37AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Some of the most respected names in music, film and television will fill in for host James Corden on the Emmy Award-winning series while he is in production on the upcoming film The Prom. Those taking a turn behind Corden's desk include 15-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and returning Grammy host Alicia Keys; three-time Grammy Award winner Chance the Rapper; Emmy-nominated actor and musician Jeff Goldblum; scene-stealing actor, producer and writer Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community); Oscar-nominated actress Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly); and multi-platinum recording artist Harry Styles, who previously guest-hosted the show in December 2017. Each will take on hosting duties for one night. Specific airdates will be announced shortly.

COZI TV invites their loyal fans to light up the tree, throw on an ugly sweater and snuggle up in front of the television for a special marathon filled with many of television's most beloved Christmas moments from The Office, Will & Grace and more. The national multicast network's A Very COZI Christmas marathon will kick off Monday, December 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET and continue select days through Christmas Eve (check local listings).

A Very COZI Christmas will include the two-hour COZI TV premiere of the Little House: Bless All the Dear Children television movie and several Roseanne holiday episodes (before its January 2020 premiere!). Viewers can also watch episodes from Murder She Wrote, Six Million Dollar Man and Highway to Heaven. For full lineup information, please visit COZITV.com for your local schedule.

CBS announced that the Network has reached a new agreement with The Late Late Show's James Corden to continue to host his acclaimed broadcast through August 2022. Corden, who received the most Emmy Award nominations of any individual performer this year, originally took over as host of CBS' late night talk and variety series on March 23, 2015.

2019 has been another breakthrough year for Corden and The Late Late Show. He earned the most individual Emmy nominations (seven) for any performer, for his work on The Late Late Show, the Carpool Karaoke primetime specials, the Carpool Karaoke series for Apple, and The World's Best. Additionally, the much-talked-about Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live from Liverpool has been streamed nearly 150 million times across Facebook and YouTube. The Carpool Karaoke McCartney special repeated last night, August 19 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT as well on the CBS Television Network. The Late Late Show with James Corden is produced by CBS Television Studios and airs weeknights (12:37-1:37 AM, ET/PT) on CBS. Ben Winston and Rob Crabbe are the executive producers.

For the second year, Freeform opens its ghoulish gates to Freeform's Halloween House, an interactive experience in the heart of Hollywood and the ultimate destination for Halloween lovers. Bringing cult classics to life including Hocus Pocus, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Addams Family and other fan-favorite movies from Freeform's "31 Nights of Halloween" programming stunt, the network will transform the historic Hollywood Athletic Club into an immersive, multiroom Halloween sanctuary. Open to the public from Wednesday, Oct. 2, through Monday, Oct. 7, the limited time encounter will bring back buzzed-about photo opportunities, as well as new activations that will surely give guests the chills. Tickets are now available here. In addition, this year Freeform will welcome Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters 2 and Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 3 to the annual programming event.

CBS announced that the Network's top two freshman dramas, SEAL Team and S.W.A.T., are being renewed for the 2018-2019 broadcast season. The pickups follow the previous renewal of the top new series of the season, Young Sheldon. Based on current Nielsen ratings, Young Sheldon, SEAL Team and S.W.A.T. comprise three of the top five most-watched new shows. SEAL Team is a one-hour military drama starring David Boreanaz that follows the professional and personal lives of the most elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous missions that our country can ask of them. Benjamin Cavell, Ed Redlich, Christopher Chulack, Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly serve as executive producers. SEAL Team is produced by CBS Television Studios.

Inspired by the classic television series and feature film, S.W.A.T. stars Shemar Moore as the locally born and raised sergeant tasked with running a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, Shawn Ryan, Justin Lin, Neal Moritz, Marney Hochman, Danielle Woodrow and Pavun Shetty serve as executive producers. S.W.A.T. is produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with CBS Television Studios.

CBS will present a new The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Prime Time Special 2018, featuring an all new "Carpool Karaoke," "Crosswalk the Musical" and James Corden's favorite moments from The Late Late Show, on Monday, April 23 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Featured guests and additional details will be announced closer to air. This marks the third primetime special for The Late Late Show with James Corden. The 2016 and 2017 editions of The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Prime Time Special both earned Emmy Awards for Outstanding Variety Special. Each weeknight, James Corden invites the audience to join in on the fun as the Emmy Award-winning The Late Late Show with James Corden features a mix of celebrity guests, musical acts, games and sketches. The show regularly features viral segments such as "Carpool Karaoke," "Crosswalk the Musical," "Drop the Mic" and "Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts." The show holds the YouTube record for the most-watched late night clip with "Adele Carpool Karaoke," which has 178 million views. The Late Late Show with James Corden airs weeknights (12:37-1:37 AM, ET/PT) on CBS. Ben Winston and Rob Crabbe are the executive producers.

The '70s and '80s television pop-culture classic, Battle of the Network Stars (which premiered from ABC Sports in 1976 and continued for 13 years), will be revived when it returns to television on Thursday, June 29 at 9:00pm EDT on ABC. Battle of the Network Stars is a nostalgic throwback to the original series where TV celebrities blended athleticism with hilarious antics. The 10-episode summer event will pit teams of current and classic TV stars from multiple eras and different genres against one another in a variety of athletic games. Viewers can look forward to seeing a fresh take at some of the classic show's sporting events like Tug of War, Archery, Kayak Relay, the Obstacle Course and the Dunk Tank. The hosts will be Mike Greenberg and Joe Tessitore of ESPN; Cassidy Hubbarth and Cari Champion of ESPN will be the sideline reporters; plus Super Bowl 50 winner DeMarcus Ware and MMA fighter/Olympian Ronda Rousey will be the team captains.

For this new version, the network vs. network format didn't make as much sense as fielding teams based on the characters people love from over the years to the current day - Cops vs. TV Sitcoms, White House vs. Lawyers, TV Moms & Dads vs. TV Kids, etc. In this way, we'll get to see everyone's favorites from over the years, even if they spanned different networks at the time. The 100 TV stars, from 14 different network and cable companies, will be announced at a later date.

James Corden will welcome a star-studded lineup of guests when he broadcasts his Emmy Award-winning The Late Late Show from the historic, 1700-seat venue, Central Hall Westminster in London, Tuesday, June 6 - Thursday, June 8 at 12:37 AM ET/P) on the CBS Television Network. The featured guests will include Nicole Kidman, David Beckham, Emily Blunt, Tom Cruise, Ed Sheeran, Jennifer Hudson, Kit Harington, with music from Harry Styles and Kings of Leon, and more. As Corden shares highlights of his homeland with American viewers, The Late Late Show's signature musical and comedy segments will get a British twist, including a brand new Carpool Karaoke with Grammy(R) Award-winning British artist Ed Sheeran.

Sky, the exclusive home to The Late Late Show with James Corden in the U.K., will broadcast these London-based episodes June 7-9 at 10:00 PM on Sky 1 and Now TV. The show is available daily on Sky on Demand and Now TV.

TBS is injecting a little groove into its original series lineup. The network has greenlit Drop the Mic, a new mixture of comedy and music from executive producers James Corden and Ben Winston. Joining them as executive producer is Jensen Karp, former battle rapper Hot Karl. Drop the Mic is already a huge viral and digital success as an ongoing popular segment on The Late Late Show with James Corden. The new series will be produced by CBS Television Studios and Fulwell 73 and is slated to join the TBS lineup in 2017. Drop the Mic will pit four celebrities against each other in a rap battle royale packed with "I can't believe they just said that" moments. Each week's winner will be chosen by the studio audience. TBS has ordered 16 episodes of Drop the Mic, with a host to be announced later.

TBS has been undergoing a major programming and brand evolution that began in January with the highly successful launch of Angie Tribeca. The network kept the hits coming with the launches of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee in February, The Detour in April and Wrecked in June. As a result, TBS now claims four of cable's Top 10 new comedies for the year-to-date, with Wrecked and The Detour topping the list. TBS is also home to ELEAGUE, Turner and WME | IMG's new eSports venture. Drop the Mic marks TBS's fourth series greenlight in the past two weeks. On July 31, the network announced it has ordered 10 episodes of The Guest Book and begun production on the new animated series Tarantula. A few days earlier, TBS announced it has greenlit the new digital animated series Storyville from Mass Appeal.

On the heels of its three Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, ABC Studios' black-ish season two is available for free exclusively on iTunes (iTunes.com/black-ish) now through Wednesday night, August 17. All 24 episodes are available, including the acclaimed "Hope," about the family's reaction to a verdict in a trial involving alleged police brutality. During its just-completed sophomore season, black-ish was recognized by the American Film Institute as an AFI Television Program of the Year, and it received the coveted Peabody Award. In July, the show received three Emmy nominations, including a second consecutive nod for Anthony Anderson for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, a first-time Outstanding Comedy Series nod, and a first nomination for Tracee Ellis Ross for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

black-ish stars Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson, Laurence Fishburne as Pops, Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Marcus Scribner as Andre Johnson Jr., Miles Brown as Jack Johnson, Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson, Jenifer Lewis as Ruby, Peter Mackenzie as Mr. Stevens.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We have a bit of a slow news week this week since it was only a three (if not two) day work week for many out there. But nonetheless, we're here with our weekly feature, with an update on the network development season, plans for The Late Late Show post-Craig Ferguson, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Sony's release of Maude - The Complete First Season is now out-of-print, but for those who still want it, Mill Creek will be re-releasing it on February 3 (it isn't available to pre-order just yet).

DECEMBER 2 HOME MEDIA RELEASES 

• Happy Days - The Sixth Season (DVD, $39.98): Richie, The Fonz, and the rest of the gang return for this release of the classic show on DVD.
• The Simpsons - The Complete Seventeenth Season (DVD, $49.98; Blu-ray, $59.99): Sideshow Bob graces the cover of the latest release of The Simpsons on home media, which brings fans the 2005-2006 season along with plenty of special features.

Who to Follow: Erin Murphy (Twitter) "Actress/ Television Host/ Writer/ Wife/ Mother of 6/ Autism Advocate/ Alpaca Rancher but BEST known for playing Tabitha on Bewitched!"

Claim to Fame: Murphy's own description of herself on Twitter is very apt, as she has done a lot of things in her life... but to most of us, she was Tabitha on Bewitched. Along with her twin sister Diane, she shared the role on the series almost from the time she was born, but it wasn't long before Erin took on the role by herself. Since that time, she has appeared in TV commercials (not as much lately), game shows, reality shows, become an advocate for causes such as autism and the NOH8 campaign, and become a mom to six children. But most of all, as one of the youngest cast members on Bewitched (which also means that she is one of only a few cast members of the series still alive), she is the one person who will allow the legacy of Bewitched to be "immortal" and continue to live on for decades to come and also has a great friendship with other child (and sometimes older) stars of TV series of the past... and is even hoping to be part of an potential future sitcom!

Pick of the Tweets: "Here's a photo from @TVGuide with the other babies who played #Tabitha before I took over! #Bewitched @MeTV @tvland " (October 29, 2014)

Last month we mentioned a show will coming to TBS daytime this September, now we will reveal what that is. TBS will premiere America's Funniest Home Videos in the 11am hour replacing the expiring The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. TBS will air seasons 20 and on for AFV. Also expiring from the network will be My Name is Earl, which was airing in early mornings. An extra Married...with Children will replace the sitcom initially. Effective Monday, Sept. 29, TBS will launch a daytime movie at 9am, replacing two hours of sitcoms. Meet the Browns, House of Payne, will thus be off the line-up, while Full House will move to 6am. Cougar Town and The Office will air in late night beginning at 12 midnight. Everybody Loves Raymond will return to weekdays and air at 8:30am beginning Sept. 29, following Are We There Yet at 8. That's about it, everything is just minor timeslot changes. To recap, the new addition will be AFV, while Fresh Prince, My Name is Earl, Meet the Browns, House of Payne leave and Raymond returns.

The CBS Television Network announced that James Corden will be the new host of The Late Late Show. Corden - a multi-faceted performer, host, writer and producer with accomplishments that span television, theater, film and comedy - will take the reins of the daily late night show in 2015. The 36-year-old Corden comes to American late night television with a growing list of award-winning and critically acclaimed credits. He is a Tony Award-winning performer on Broadway, a BAFTA-winning star of a UK television series, a feature film actor with two releases this year, and an acclaimed host, writer and producer in several genres of television. Currently, Corden is starring opposite Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in Begin Again, which is in theaters now, and will star opposite Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp and Emily Blunt in the highly anticipated feature film Into the Woods, which hits theaters in December. Additionally, Corden hosts the BAFTA Award-winning UK sports-themed comedy game show A League of Their Own on Sky 1 and stars in, produces and writes the BAFTA nominated comedy thriller The Wrong Mans, which is available on Hulu and airs on the BBC.

The Late Late Show with James Corden will be produced by CBS. The creative elements, as well as the producers and the location for the Corden-hosted The Late Late Show, will be determined and announced at a later date. Corden succeeds Craig Ferguson, the critically acclaimed host of the CBS late night series for the past 10 years. Ferguson announced his intention to leave the show during his April 28 broadcast, and will sign off in December 2014. The Late Late Show is broadcast weeknights on the CBS Television Network from 12:37 AM-1:37 AM, ET/PT.