SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

SitcomsOnline Digest: Remembering Norman Lear; Fox to Air M*A*S*H Retrospective

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we lost a sitcom producer icon, we're hearing about the cancellation of a series at ABC, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• The big news this week is that Norman Lear, who was working up until his death, has died at age 101. (CBS News)
• Norman Lear died this week, and many are wondering why his series are so hard to find on streaming media. Unfortunately, Sony declined to give many answers. (Deadline)
• Station 19 is coming to an end at ABC. (Deadline)
• Andrea Fay Friedman, who played the role of Corky's girlfriend Amanda on the series Life Goes On and also appeared in guest roles on other series, has died at age 53. (Variety)
• Fox is planning to air M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, a two hour special of clips and interviews, on January 1. (Deadline)
• Prime Video has renewed Harlem for another season. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16)

• If you missed it last night, the CBS special Norman Lear: A Life on Television is available on Paramount+.
• MeTV is remembering Norman Lear on Sunday night with some episodes of All in the Family, Good Times, and Sanford & Son on Sunday night.
• Who's the Boss? is now available to watch on Hulu.
• Catchy Comedy is having a binge of The Dick Van Dyke Show this weekend, to honor his 98th birthday.

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:00 PM

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Labels: Life Goes On, M*A*S*H, Norman Lear, SitcomsOnline Digest, Station 19, Who's the Boss?

SitcomsOnline Digest: Quantum Leap and Life Goes On Reboots in the Works at NBC; Weekend of Tributes for Betty White and Bob Saget

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're back to having a heavy news week, and we've got the highlights here for you. It comes down to one big thing: reboots everywhere! Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• There is finally a season premiere date for the 25th season of South Park, something fans have been waiting for since 2019 (it seems they're calling the string of specials that have aired over the past two years "season 24"). (Variety)
• It seems that a Quantum Leap sequel had been ordered at NBC, but if it makes it on air, will it become another reboot/sequel that we spend years talking about, only to see it cancelled very quickly? (Entertainment Weekly)
• And then there's a Life Goes On sequel in the works at NBC too, which will seem to focus mostly on Kelly Martin's character. (Deadline)
• If the reboots weren't enough, why not go even more meta and create a whole Hulu sitcom about people trying to reboot a sitcom? And will it get a reboot someday itself? (Deadline)
• Feeding on the popularity of binge watching, Fox will debut their newest sitcom, Welcome to Flatch, both linearly on TV as well as placing the first seven episodes online immediately on the same day. (Deadline)
• It isn't quite in time for her 100th birthday, but NBC has a Betty White special planned for the end of the month. (Hollywood Reporter)
• If you're wondering what's cancelled and coming back, Deadline is starting to maintain a scorecard. (Deadline)
• The year 2022 has not been great when it comes to losing favorite celebrities of the past, with both Bob Saget and Dwayne Hickman dying in the past week. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (JANUARY 15 - JANUARY 21)

• Full House makes an early debut with a short afternoon block of Danny Tanner focused episodes on MeTV on Sunday.
• Saturday Night Live returns with a new episode tonight, but there has already been a change in musical guests due to COVID.
• Decades is having a binge of The Fall Guy this weekend.
• America's Funniest Home Videos also has a tribute to Bob Saget planned for Sunday's episode.
• How I Met Your Father debuts Tuesday on Hulu.
• A new comedy Single Drunk Female debuts Thursday night on Freeform, the channel that used to be Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network.
• There are plenty more Betty White tributes to be had this weekend, including The Golden Girls marathons on both Hallmark and TV Land and marathons of game show appearances on GSN and Buzzr.

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:00 PM

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Labels: Full House, Life Goes On, Quantum Leap, Reboot, SitcomsOnline Digest, Welcome to Flatch

SitcomsOnline Digest: Life Goes On Reboot in the Works with Kellie Martin Reprising Original Role; Martha Plimpton Cast in Greg Garcia Comedy

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! There is (surprisingly) a lot to cover this week, but we've got a few highlights for you, including a Life Goes On reboot, a new president for SAG-AFTRA, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• This week in proposed TV reboots: one of Life Goes On, with Kellie Martin in the starring role (and could we potentially see some appearances from Chris Burke?). (TV Insider)
• Sprung, Greg Garcia's upcoming series for IMDb TV, will have him working with a familiar face from another series in the past, Martha Plimpton. (Deadline) 
• Fran Drescher is now president, at least of SAG-AFTRA. (Variety)
• ABC and NBC have, for a long time, done well with their established morning national news programming, but it's been a constant struggle for CBS to find anything that works, which will undergo yet another rebranding next week. (CBS News)
• Mike Richards probably could've flown under the radar for years had he not inexplicably been given (for a few days anyway) the job as host of Jeopardy!, something that fans of the show simply didn't like because he was a boring choice, but the attention that personal scandals that only came to him after being given that job has resulted in him now being fired as executive producer from the series... and he's lawyering up. (Screen Rant)
• It's a minor detail, but the original theme song to Dawson's Creek is now available on the episodes streaming on Netflix. (Deadline)
  
• Ed Asner died this week, leaving Betty White as the sole surviving cast member of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (SEPTEMBER 4 - SEPTEMBER 10)

• In tribute to the late Ed Asner, Decades has a binge of The Mary Tyler Moore Show this weekend.
• The fourth season of A.P. Bio is now available to watch on Peacock.
• Days of Our Lives gets to see a limited series spinoff on Peacock on Monday.
• Doogie Kamealoha M.D. arrives on Disney+ on Wednesday.

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:00 PM

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Labels: Dawson's Creek, Jeopardy, Life Goes On, Mary Tyler Moore Show, SitcomsOnline Digest, Sprung

Life Goes On Reunion on Hallmark's Home & Family; TV One's Anthology Series Brings Out the TV Stars

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da! On Monday, February 23, 2015, Hallmark Channel's daytime series Home & Family hosts a special Life Goes On reunion with Chris Burke (Corky Thacher), Patti LuPone (Libby Thacher) and Kellie Martin (Becca Thacher). The iconic drama series ran on ABC from 1989 to 1993 and featured the Thacher family and their son Corky who has Down Syndrome. This special cast reunion continues Home & Family recent run of reunion episodes paying tribute to some of TV's greatest series including Dynasty, Knots Landing, The Love Boat and of course Happy Days. And Home & Family airs each weekday on Hallmark Channel at 10 am ET/PT. One other tidbit from this airing, filling in for vacationing Cristina Ferrare will be Brooke Burns (GSN's The Chase). The reunion will tape on Friday, February 20 at the Universal lot in Burbank.

TV stars are coming to TV One in an anthology series. Robin Givens, Columbus Short and Lynn Whitfield headline TV One's next installment of its horror anthology, Fear Files (formerly Fright Night Files) with three new terrifying tales of love, revenge and murder on Friday, March 13 at 8PM/ET. The new trilogy picks up where the first airing left off by revisiting "For The Love of Lockwood" with its sequel "For The Love Of Lockwood Too," and introducing two new stories, "Mama's Boy" and "Fire." Shot on location in Atlanta, Fear Files represents the second project executive produced by Radio One Founder and Chairperson, Cathy Hughes and Executive Vice President of Special Projects, Susan Banks. The duo once again joined forces with award-winning writer, director and producer Russ Parr of Up To Parr Productions. Fear Files' stellar ensemble includes: Robin Givens (Head of the Class), Columbus Short (Scandal), Nadine Ellis (Let's Stay Together), Eva Marcille (The Young and The Restless), Lynn Whitfield (How to Get Away with Murder), Clifton Powell (Ray), Sean Blakemore (General Hospital), Erica Hubbard (Let's Stay Together), Mel Jackson (Soul Food) and Mishon Ratliff (Lincoln Heights). Full descriptions on all 3 follows:

For The Love of Lockwood Too
Lockwood Masters (Sean Blakemore) is back and has another victim in his sights, the beautiful Bianca Wayne (Nadine Ellis). After a love potion overdose from Madam Mabry (Lynn Whitfield), Lockwood cannot help but devour the women he falls in love with. When Lockwood's first wife and victim Marla Peters (Eva Marcille) makes a ghostly appearance, Lockwood is trapped between delusions and reality. Meanwhile, Bianca is battling her heart’s desire to fall for this charming man and, much like Marla, she too questions how far she’d go for the love of Lockwood.

Mama's Boy
Elaine Channing (Robin Givens) is a loving mother with a terrifying secret. All of the men she becomes involved with are met with a tragic end. Desperately, she fears her son is murdering her lovers. In a bizarre twist, Elaine must decide how far she will go to protect her son.

Fire
When City Councilman Harvey Jordan (Columbus Short) unveils a plan to build a football stadium in a low income neighborhood, friction erupts within the community. After a lethal fire removes the last resident blocking his project, many begin to question if this death was in fact an accident, or has the Councilman’s ambition led to murder. The truth begins to haunt him as a determined reporter, Kelisia Waters (Erica Hubbard) will stop at nothing to get answers she desires.

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

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Labels: Hallmark Channel, Life Goes On, TV One