SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's a VERY busy week, and we've tried to condense our news as much as possible to ensure that you get all of the highlights. This week, we're busy learning about all of the renewals and cancellations of series, ahead of learning what the new fall season will look like. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

CBS has announced that the fourth season of comedy series Life in Pieces will premiere with two original episodes, Thursday, April 18 (8:30-9:00 and 9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. On April 25, Life in Pieces will begin airing in its regular time period on Thursdays at 9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT. This season, the Short family welcomes a few new family members and weathers an unexpected health crisis, plus some long-hidden secrets are revealed in an unexpected way.

Life in Pieces is a comedy about one big happy family and their sometimes awkward, often hilarious and ultimately beautiful milestone moments as told by its various members. As the family’s lives unfold in four short stories each week, they try to savor these little pieces of time that flash by but stay with you forever, because these moments add up to what life’s all about.

The multi-generational comedy was the most-watched program in its 9:30 PM time period on CBS’ dominant Thursday last season, and ranks as one of the top 10 comedies on broadcast television.

Dianne Wiest, James Brolin, Zoe Lister-Jones, Colin Hanks, Angelique Cabral, Thomas Sadoski, Betsy Brandt, Dan Bakkedahl, Niall Cunningham, Holly J. Barrett, Giselle Eisenberg and Hunter King star in Life in Pieces. Justin Adler, Aaron Kaplan, Jeff Morton and Barbie Adler are executive producers for 20th Century Fox Television in association with Kapital Entertainment.

CBS has announced that it has renewed hit sophomore comedy Young Sheldon for two additional years, beginning with the 2019-2020 broadcast season.

“Thanks to Chuck Lorre’s and Steve Molaro’s outstanding creative leadership, Young Sheldon has been a powerful performer for the Network with an audience that towers over most of the television landscape,” said Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment. Added Thom Sherman, Senior Executive Vice President of Programming: “The Coopers are portrayed by an amazing cast, and we are looking forward to having the gifted writing staff mine even more of Sheldon’s hilarious backstory and the warm family dynamic that has made this comedy a favorite with audiences for the past two seasons.”

Youn Sheldon is television’s #2 most-watched comedy, behind only its lead-in and precursor, The Big Bang Theory. The series averages over 14.5 million viewers each week. It stars Iain Armitage, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord and Annie Potts. Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak are the executive producers for Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

Recently, I caught up with the most recent season of FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Always Sunny is currently the longest-running live action sitcom on TV, having just finished its 13th season. The show premiered in 2005, an age that seems so far long and feels extraordinarily different from the current era, and yet, Sunny still fits seamlessly into the current TV landscape. In its 13th season, the show still feels vital and relevant - sometimes, in new ways than it did previously.

The buzziest episode of the 13th season was the finale, in which long-closeted gay character Mac performs an elaborate dance sequence, expressing his feelings about his sexuality. It was, by far, the most emotional Sunny has ever gotten, and many fans were put off by it. Personally, I'm happy that Sunny keeps experimenting and innovating its own process, even 13 seasons in. It's part of why the show has lasted the test of time, and why 13 seasons in, I'm still not waiting for the end. Granted, there were some signs of wear within Sunny's 13th season - not every episode was a hit, and the show missed Dennis who was only in the season sporadically - but the show is still brave, often hilarious, and still truly giving it its all. It's not a show that's resting on its laurels for easy laughs, the way many long-running sitcoms do. It's really hard to find many sitcoms that have remained relevant and hilarious as long as Sunny has - and it's why it remains a special part of the sitcom landscape.

CBS announced the comedy portion of its winter 2019 scheduling moves, including the series premiere of Fam and the return of Man with a Plan. CBS will premiere the new comedy Fam on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 9:30PM, ET/PT after Murphy Brown completes its season order. Fam stars Nina Dobrev and Tone Bell in a comedy about a woman whose vision of a perfect life with her adoring fiancé and his wonderful parents is radically altered when her 16-year-old, out-of-control half-sister unexpectedly comes to live with her. As the family Clem (Dobrev) chose and the family she has blend, Clem realizes that this new happy fam may be the perfection she's always been seeking. Odessa Adlon, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Sheryl Lee Ralph also star.

Also, Man with a Plan will return for its third season on Monday, Feb. 4 at 8:30PM ET/PT after Happy Together completes its season run. Man with a Plan stars Golden Globe Award winner Matt LeBlanc in a comedy about an old-school guy confronting the modern challenges of parenting, marriage and family. Liza Snyder, Kevin Nealon, Stacy Keach, Grace Kaufman, Matthew McCann, Hala Finley, Matt Cook and Kali Rocha also star. The season premiere of Life in Pieces will be announced at a later date.

Splitting Up Together - Tuesdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Vincent

Lena and Martin were once madly in love. But, like many marriages, time and circumstance eventually took their toll and the romance disappeared. Finding themselves in a platonic marriage and acting more like a pair of camp counselors wrangling their kids than a couple hopelessly in love, they decide that everyone's lives would be better served if they got a divorce. Still wanting the best for their three kids and facing a daunting real estate market, the couple decides to "Bird Nest" instead. One parent will live in the house as the "on-duty" parent taking care of the kids, while the "off-duty" parent will live in the detached garage, doing whatever he or she pleases while switching off every other week. Could being apart ultimately lead to them getting back together?

Cast Details:

Jenna Fischer as Lena
Oliver Hudson as Martin
Bobby Lee as Arthur
Diane Farr as Maya
Lindsay Price as Camille

Jenna Fischer (Lena) is best known for her role as Pam Beesly on the long-running NBC sitcom The Office. She has also appeared in films such as Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Hall Pass.

Oliver Hudson (Martin) is an actor known for his role on the TV series Scream Queens, Nashville, and the long-running sitcom Rules of Engagement. He is also the brother of actress Kate Hudson and son of Goldie Hawn.

Bobby Lee (Arthur) is a comedian and actor known for his long-running stint on the sketch comedy series MADtv, and for his role in films such as Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Pineapple Express and The Dictator.

Diane Farr (Maya) is an actress best known for her roles in the hit shows NUMB3RS and Rescue Me, as well as guest appearances on series such as Modern Family, Private Practice and CSI.

Lindsay Price (Camille) is an American actress previously known for her roles on soap operas, from daytime soaps such as All My Children and The Bold and the Beautiful to the primetime soaps such as Beverly Hills 90210, Lipstick Jungle and Eastwick.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs Tuesday, March 27 at 9:30PM ET)

After breaking the news to their friends and family about their divorce, Lena has to deal with her son Mason's growing pains. Meanwhile, Martin, still feeling guilty about refusing to dance with Lena at their wedding, secretly tries to atone for his oversight and surprise his ex-wife with new moves.

Analysis:

The most interesting thing about Splitting Up Together is the creators behind it. The show was created and is executive produced by Emily Kapnek, and also has Ellen DeGeneres credited as an executive producer. Kapnek previously created cult favorite ABC sitcoms Suburgatory and Selfie. Suburgatory started off as a promising hit with lots of positive buzz (and ratings), but gradually faded and was quietly canceled after its third season. Selfie only lasted for half of a season, but it garnered a following in that short time and remains a popular brilliant but cancelled: cult hit. What's notable about both shows, though, is that they were able to garner followings based on their lovable, quirky characters and gradual yet effective warmth and ability to tug on the heartstrings. Both shows had big concepts (in the case of Suburgatory a suburban satire, in the case of Selfie a shallow millennial woman learning how to care about people), but quietly deconstructed those concepts to reveal the true human beings behind them. Splitting Up Together has a similarly big concept, and in these early episodes for review, it shows potential of moving past it and revealing the depths of its characters - but it doesn't quite get there yet.

Splitting Up Together's pilot episode is a little boring, frankly - it gets a lot of plot out of the way and is light on jokes, but clearly has the entire cast putting in their all. And the cast is very game for whatever comes their way, particularly Jenna Fischer, whose first major sitcom role since The Office finds her a lovable anchor of the series. Future episodes begin to allow her to have a little more fun, and as expected, she handles it with aplomb. If I have one major concern with the series, it's that these early episodes are clearly laying a path to get its central couple back together, and the show is far more interesting examining why their marriage doesn't work than when it's suggesting that they should get back together. It would be incredibly generic and predictable for this to turn into another "will they/won't they" series, and I hope the glimmers of something more interesting is the direction the series goes down in the future.

Final Thoughts:

Splitting Up Together has an excellent cast and team of creators behind it, and there is potential for it to live up to the name of those involved in its early episodes, even if much of the show's early goings are a bit bland and predictable. Hopefully, the show will follow Emily Kapnek's former ABC sitcoms and begin leaning into its more interesting, character-building side and utilize all of its talent to their best of their abilities.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 3.5/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 3/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

ABC.com Official Site

TV.com

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Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

A.P. Bio Photo Gallery

Preview:

CBS has announced season finale dates for its primetime comedies, drama and unscripted series for spring 2018. See below!

Monday, April 16
10:00-11:00 PM SCORPION (4th Season Finale)

Wednesday, April 18
9:00-11:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS (2-Hour 13th Season Finale)

Friday, May 4
8:00-9:00 PM MACGYVER (2nd Season Finale)

Monday, May 7
8:00-8:30 PM KEVIN CAN WAIT (2nd Season Finale)

Tuesday, May 8
9:00-10:00 PM BULL (2nd Season Finale)

Thursday, May 10
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (11th Season Finale)
8:30-9:00 PM YOUNG SHELDON (1st Season Finale)
9:00-10:00 PM MOM (1-Hour 5th Season Finale)

Friday, May 11
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS (8th Season Finale)

Monday, May 14
9:00-9:30 PM SUPERIOR DONUTS (2nd Season Finale)

Tuesday, May 15
9:00-11:00 PM NCIS: NEW ORLEANS (2-Hour 4th Season Finale)

Wednesday, May 16
9:00-10:00 PM SEAL TEAM (1st Season Finale)

Thursday, May 17
9:00-10:00 PM LIFE IN PIECES (1-Hour 3rd Season Finale)
10:00-11:00 PM S.W.A.T. (1st Season Finale)

Friday, May 18
9:00-10:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0 (8th Season Finale)

Sunday, May 20
8:00-10:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES (2-Hour 9th Season Finale)
10:00-11:00 PM MADAM SECRETARY (4th Season Finale)

Monday, May 21
8:30-9:00 PM MAN WITH A PLAN (2nd Season Finale)
9:30-10:00 PM LIVING BIBLICALLY (1st Season Finale)

Tuesday, May 22
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS (15th Season Finale)

Wednesday, May 23
8:00-10:00 PM SURVIVOR (36th Season Finale)
10:00-11:00 PM SURVIVOR LIVE REUNION SHOW

Hulu and 20th Century Fox Television Distribution announced an expansive agreement that will add nearly 3,000 episodes of hit comedies, popular dramas and iconic series to Hulu. In addition to granting streaming rights to every episode of long-running hits including How I Met Your Mother, Burn Notice, Bones and Glee, the deal will also make Hulu the streaming home to all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H and the full NYPD Blue library.

Through the agreement, Hulu's offering will expand over the coming weeks with all episodes of popular series from 20th Century Fox including the following titles and many more:

Hit Comedies: How I Met Your Mother, Raising Hope, The Bernie Mac Show, Better Off Ted, Reba, Life in Pieces
Long-Running Dramas: NYPD Blue, Bones, Glee, Burn Notice, White Collar, The Practice
Iconic Series: M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, The Bob Newhart Show
Fan Favorites: Don't Trust the B—in Apartment 23, The Grinder, Blue Collar, Saving Grace, Lie To Me, Graceland
Cult Hits: Dollhouse, Wilfred, The Glades

The deal follows the announcement of an expanded agreement between Hulu and 20th Century Fox Television Distribution that adds top animated comedies from the studio to Hulu, including Emmy-winning comedy Bob's Burgers, as well as hit series American Dad!, Futurama, and The Cleveland Show. Through several previous agreements, Hulu is the exclusive subscription streaming video on-demand home of popular 20th Century Fox titles including this year's #1 drama series, This Is Us, as well as hits Fresh Off the Boat, Empire, The Last Man on Earth, Homeland and more.

Sam -- an 18-year-old on the autism spectrum - upends his family when he begins his journey of self-discovery for independence, love and acceptance in the new Netflix comedy series with heart, Atypical. Get a glimpse into the funny, heartfelt and heartbreaking moments of the Gardner family in the official trailer for the new series which launches on Netflix Friday, August 11.

Atypical is a coming of age story from the point-of-view of Sam (played by Keir Gilchrist), an 18-year-old on the autistic spectrum searching for love and independence. While Sam is on his funny and emotional journey of self-discovery, the rest of his family must grapple with change in their own lives while exploring the question: what does it really mean to be "normal"? Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as Sam's mother, Elsa, who is on a life-changing path as her son gains more independence. Michael Rapaport plays Sam's father, Doug, who desires to better connect with and understand his son. Brigette Lundy-Paine plays Sam's scrappy sister, Casey, and Amy Okuda plays his therapist, Julia. 8 episodes have been ordered.

Our Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows weekly report will now move to Sundays, because now we have a new feature from one of our writers, Vincent, that will dive into the week in sitcoms. The new feature is called Fri-Yay, so that means a look back on some of the best of comedy this past week or two! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

These days, sitcoms kind of come in all different shapes and sizes. If you're a sitcom traditionalist, preferring classical multi-camera set up with plenty of silly hijinks and audience laughter, there are plenty of shows for you that still exist - from network comedies like The Big Bang Theory and Kevin Can Wait to "reboots" of classic sitcoms on Netflix such as Fuller House and One Day at a Time. There are also still plenty of smart, slick, modern single-camera sitcoms with in the vein of The Office and Modern Family - some of my favorite contemporary examples include NBC's Superstore and Fox's Brooklyn Nine-Nine. But with the rise of streaming and "peak TV" has come with it a new type of sitcom. These sitcoms follow the sitcom mold - they're about 20-30 minutes long, are filled with jokes and lovable characters, and generally tell stories on an episode-by-episode basis. But they're also a little more complex than your average sitcom, are more comfortable telling serialized stories along with their episode-by-episode story lines, and aren't as constructed to the network-mandated act structure of a network (or even cable) sitcom. They're sitcoms designed for streaming services - essentially, they're sitcoms tailor-made for a new age.

Two of these streaming sitcoms - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Master of None, both Netflix originals - released new seasons this past few weeks. And both of these seasons featured plenty of examples of why both have become buzzed about and beloved cultural hits. Master of None featured two episodes in its season that may wind up being my two favorite episodes of television of this entire year - "New York, I Love You" (a series of disconnected vignettes about peripheral characters on the outskirts of its protagonist Dev's New York life) and "Thanksgiving" (a coming out story of Dev's best friend Denise that's perhaps the most raw and honest coming out story I've ever seen on TV.) These two episodes feature very little of Master of None's protagonist and have nothing to do with the show's central premise or storyline – they’re entirely experimental. And yet, they're some of the most fascinating and refreshing TV you'll find right now. Similarly, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's third season has some of the best joke writing you could possibly find, and there were several moments where I had to pause my TV because I was laughing so hard. What's even more impressive is the way the show weaves some very dark subject matter between these jokes, revolving around the horrors of Kimmy's past, which she spent being held captive by a madman who convinced her the world had ended. Kimmy started out as a network sitcom (the first season was written for NBC before they sold it to Netflix), but the show's Netflix home has allowed it to gradually uncover the horror of Kimmy's past while still keeping its joke-a-second pace rolling.

Still, while the freedom of Netflix allows these shows to flourish in many ways, there are also some ways where I feel these sitcoms could actually benefit from some of the tightness of network programming. The second season of Master of None spends a large amount of its time on a humdrum romance arc between Dev and a woman he meets in Italy named Francesca, cultivating in an episode that's 45 minutes long and entirely devoted to their relationship. The story is never as interesting as the show thinks it is, and I have to wonder if perhaps some creative restraints may have guided Ansari to either developing the story better or at least shortening it in places (like, maybe a 25 minute episode instead of 45 minutes?). Similarly, there are parts of Kimmy Schmidt's third season that feel like total misfires, particularly in the show's largely unfunny satire of college students that never quite finds its target. And yet, without any real network notes or ability for audience response to influence creative direction, the shows keep going with plotlines and beats that clearly aren't working. I wouldn't want Master of None or Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to be network sitcoms, as I wouldn't want to lose their heir of experimentation, even if it means they sometimes lack consistency. But they're also signs that the traditional method of doing television may not be completely dead yet.

CBS has announced Fall 2017 primetime premiere dates. Premiere week opens with The Big Bang Theory at 8:00 PM, leading into the Special Series Premiere of Young Sheldon at 8:30 PM, and the New Comedy Me, Myself & I at 9:30 PM, on Monday, Sept. 25. New Drama SEAL Team joins Survivor and Criminal Minds when they premiere Wednesday, Sept. 27. Wisdom of the Crowd debuts Sunday, Oct. 1 at approx. 8:30 (after NFL), followed by the Season Premiere of NCIS: Los Angeles at approx. 9:30 PM. On Monday, Oct. 2, New Comedy 9JKL premieres at 8:30 PM, following The Big Bang Theory. CBS' Thursday Night Entertainment Lineup returns following the conclusion of Thursday Night Football on Nov. 2 with The Big Bang Theory at 8:00 PM, New Comedy Young Sheldon at 8:30 PM, Mom at 9:00 PM, Life in Pieces at 9:30 PM and New Drama S.W.A.T. at 10:00 PM. Full premiere dates are below:

Sunday, Sept. 24
7:30-8:30 PM — 60 Minutes (50th season premiere)

Monday, Sept. 25
8:00-8:30 PM — The Big Bang Theory (11th season premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM — Young Sheldon (special series debut)
9:00-9:30 PM — Kevin Can Wait (2nd season premiere)
9:30-10:00 PM — Me, Myself and I (series debut)
10:00-11:00 PM — Scorpion (4th season premiere)

Tuesday, Sept. 26
8:00-9:00 PM — NCIS (15th season premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM — Bull (2nd season premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM — NCIS: New Orleans (4th season premiere)

Wednesday, Sept. 27
8:00-9:00 PM — Survivor (35th season premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM — SEAL Team (series debut)
10:00-11:00 PM — Criminal Minds (13th season premiere)

Thursday, Sept. 28
7:30 PM ET — Thursday Night Football Pre-Game Show
8:25 PM ET — Thursday Night Football (Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers)

Friday, Sept. 29
8:00-9:00 PM — MacGyver (2nd season premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM — Hawaii Five-0 (8th season premiere
10:00-11:00 PM — Blue Bloods (8th season premiere)

Saturday, Sept. 30
10:00-11:00 PM — 48 Hours (30th season premiere)

Sunday, Oct. 1
8:30-9:30 PM — Wisdom of the Crowd (series debut)
9:30-10:30 PM — NCIS: Los Angeles (9th season premiere)

Monday, Oct. 2
8:30-9:00 PM — 9JKL (series debut)

Sunday, Oct. 8
10:00-11:00 PM — Madam Secretary (4th season premiere)

Monday, Oct. 30
8:00-8:30 PM — Kevin Can Wait (regular time period)
9:00-9:30 PM — Me, Myself and I (regular time period)
9:30-10:00 PM — Superior Donuts (2nd season premiere)

Thursday, Nov. 2
8:00-8:30 PM — The Big Bang Theory (regular time period)
8:30-9:00 PM — Young Sheldon (regular time period)
9:00-9:30 PM — Mom (5th season premiere)
9:30-10:00 PM — Life in Pieces (3rd season premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM — S.W.A.T. (series debut)

CBS announced early renewals of 18 returning series for the 2017-2018 season (well, 16 actually since two were already previously announced). Additional returning series pick-ups for next season will be announced at a later date. The shows renewed to date include 6 comedies, 9 dramas, 1 reality series, 2 newsmagazines and a roster of hit programs across every night of the week. The Big Bang Theory and NCIS were already renewed earlier. The 16 series new pick-ups for 2017-18 season are NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Bull, Kevin Can Wait, Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-0, Scorpion, Survivor, Life in Pieces, Madam Secretary, MacGyver, Mom, Man with a Place, Superior Donuts, 48 Hours, and 60 Minutes. These renewals includes 5 freshman shows are part of the Network's early renewals, including Bull, Kevin Can Wait, MacGyver, Man with a Plan and Superior Donuts.

There were no news on series such as 2 Broke Girls, Criminal Minds, The Great Indoors, Pure Genius, The Odd Couple, Training Day, Code Black, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Elementary and The Amazing Race. A few of those will get renewed, but no word yet. So stay tuned!




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 March 27-31, 2017, 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!


Sunday, March 26, 2017

• Sanaa Lathan (Family Guy/The Cleveland Show/LateLine) - Catch Sanaa on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.

Monday, March 27, 2017

• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Chris on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Richard Dreyfuss (Your Family or Mine) - Richard appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie/Malibu Country) and Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) - Lily and Jane are guests on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. They also chat with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Craig Ferguson (The Drew Carey Show) - Craig visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Rachel Dratch (Imaginary Mary) - Rachel is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Pete Holmes (Crashing) - Pete stops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Accidentally on Purpose/Courting Alex/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna appears on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC. She will also be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Ron Funches (Powerless/Undateable) - Ron is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kaitlin Olson (The Mick/It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) - Kaitlin drops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement/Reno 911!) - Wendi appears on a repeat of Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Lisa is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Mark Consuelos (Alpha House/Hope & Faith) - Mark guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Tahj Mowry, Derek Theler and Jean-Luc Bilodeau (Baby Daddy) - Tahj, Derek and Jean-Luc are guests on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Tika Sumpter (The Game) - Tika appears on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Vanessa Bell Calloway (Rhythm & Blues) - Vanessa is a guest on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• June Diane Raphael (Grace and Frankie) - June talks about Grace and Frankie on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly/Samantha Who?) and Ben Falcone (Joey) - Melissa and Ben talk TV Land's Nobodies on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Brooklyn Decker (Grace and Frankie/Friends with Better Lives) - Brookyln stops by People Now at 8:30am.
• Marcia Gay Harden (Trophy Wife) - Marcia opens up about her favorite part of being in the 50 Shades movies on People Now at 8:30am.
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• Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish/Girlfriends) - Tracee dishes about her Golden Globe win on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 2am on BET or on your local stations.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Catch Alec on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Jason is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Hank Azaria (The Simpsons/Free Agents/Herman's Head) - Hank visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Kate Walsh (Bad Judge/The Drew Carey Show) - Kate appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen stops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Cheryl Hines (Son of Zorn/Suburgatory/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Cheryl is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Adam Pally (Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam drops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Judy Greer (Married/Mad Love/Miss Guided) - Judy appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Kevin James (Kevin Can Wait/The King of Queens) - Kevin is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea drops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat) - Randall appears on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Busy Philipps (Cougar Town) - Busy guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke reveals what it’s really like being a child star, plus, the truth behind her struggles with anxiety and depression on The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.
• Todd Grinnell (One Day at a Time/Four Kings) - Todd appears on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Richard Dreyfuss (Your Family or Mine) - Richard talks about Shots Fired on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• George Lopez (Lopez/George Lopez) - George chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Melissa Peterman (Baby Daddy/Reba) - Melissa share her recipe for Mexican pizza on People Now at 8:30am.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Accidentally on Purpose/Courting Alex/Dharma & Greg) and Rachel Dratch (Imaginary Mary) - Jenna and Rachel talk about Imaginary Mary on the AOL Build Show at 12:30pm.
• Sutton Foster (Younger) - Sutton talks about Younger on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 2am on BET or on your local stations.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

• Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Watch Andrew on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Emma Roberts (Scream Queens/Unfabulous) - Emma is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He will also be on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Lisa visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Paul F. Tompkins (DAG) - Paul is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Milana Vayntrub (Other Space) - Milana appears on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Andy Daly (Review/Eastbound & Down) - Andy appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Christian Slater (Breaking In) - Christian guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Brooklyn Decker (Grace and Frankie/Friends with Better Lives) - Brooklyn is a guest on Harry, so check your local listings.
• NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - NeNe guest co-hosts a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Accidentally on Purpose/Courting Alex/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Craig Ferguson (The Drew Carey Show) - Craig is a guest on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• George Lopez (Lopez/George Lopez) - George discusses the second season of Lopez on the AOL Build Show at 5:30pm.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

• Matthew Perry (The Odd Couple/Go On/Mr. Sunshine/Friends) - Catch Matthew on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. He will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and the AOL Build Show at 4pm.
• Louis C.K. (Louie/Lucky Louie) - Louie appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Regina King (227) - Regina stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Marisa Tomei (A Different World) - Marissa is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Christine Baranski (Cybill/Happy Family/Welcome to New York) - Christine appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Kristen Schaal (The Last Man on Earth/Bob's Burgers/Flight of the Conchords) - Kristen visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) - Adam drops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Brooklyn Decker (Grace and Frankie/Friends with Better Lives) - Brooklyn is a guest on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Christian Slater (Breaking In) - Christian guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen is a guest on a repeat of The Real, so check your listings.
• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) and Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Alec and Lisa talk about The Baby Boss on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Katey Sagal (Superior Donuts/Married with Children/8 Simple Rules) - Katey discusses her new book Grace Notes: My Recollections on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. She will also be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach will be on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Craig Ferguson (The Drew Carey Show) - Craig is a guest on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.

Friday, March 31, 2017

• America Ferrera (Superstore) - Watch America on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Joey McIntyre (The McCarthys) - Joey drops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) - Will appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory/Roseanne) - Johnny is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Josh Gad (The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Sofia appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Jason George (Eve) - Jason is a guest on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Craig Ferguson (The Drew Carey Show) - Craig will be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Katey Sagal (Superior Donuts/Married with Children/8 Simple Rules) - Katey chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She will also be on the AOL Build Show at 2pm.
• Holly Robinson Peete (Hangin' with Mr. Cooper/For Your Love) - Holly is a guest on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Joey King (Bent) - Joey talks about her new movie Going in Style on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated 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!

CBS announced several winter and spring scheduling moves, including the series premieres of Angel from Hell and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. Also, in the second half of the year, the seventh season of two-time Emmy Award-winning alternative series Undercover Boss will premiere with three special Sunday broadcasts and then move to its Friday at 8:00PM ET/PT timeslot until the return of the spring edition of The Amazing Race. The sixth season premiere of sitcom Mike & Molly will join together with 2 Broke Girls to form a new Wednesday comedy block from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT as a bridge to the next edition of Survivor. Finally, the sophomore debut of The Odd Couple on Thursday at 8:30PM ET/PT will return to the schedule after the season finale of Life In Pieces. Here are all the dates and timings:

CBS Sunday Dec. 20 (Football Doubleheader)
8:30-9:30 PM, ET/8:00-9:00 PM, PT Undercover Boss (7th Season Premiere)

CBS Sunday, Dec. 27
8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT Undercover Boss

CBS Sunday, Jan. 3 (Football Doubleheader)
8:30-9:30 PM, ET/8:00-9:00 PM, PT Undercover Boss

CBS Wednesday, Jan. 6
8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT 2 Broke Gilrs (New Time Period)
8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT Mike & Molly (6th Season Premiere)

CBS Thursday, Effective Jan. 7
9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT Angel from Hell (Series Premiere)

CBS Friday, Effective Jan. 8
8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT Undercover Boss (Time Period Premiere)

CBS Friday, Effective Feb. 12
8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT The Amazing Race (28th Season Premiere)

CBS Wednesday, Feb. 17
8:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT Survivor (32nd Season Premiere)

CBS Wednesday, Feb. 24
10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT Code Black (Season Finale)

CBS Wednesday, Effective March 2
10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (Series Premiere)

CBS Thursday, Effective April 7
8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT The Odd Couple (2nd Season Premiere)

Following a successful run in New York, Hulu will bring its "Seinfeld: The Apartment" fan experience back just in time for Festivus. The pop-up installation, featuring a replica of Jerry's iconic Upper West Side Apartment and full gallery experience, will be reconstructed in Los Angeles with fan favorite items from its NYC run, as well as new and exciting items from the legendary series. "Seinfeld: The Apartment" will be located at 8445 Melrose Ave. and will be open to the public from December 16-20. The re-opening of the "Seinfeld: The Apartment" fan experience will give fans across the Los Angeles area a chance to celebrate Festivus - the fictitious holiday featured in the series - by reliving their favorite moments from the show's nine seasons. In addition to the real-world version of Jerry Seinfeld's apartment and gallery experience, the latest version of the installation will feature new, interactive elements for fans, including an aluminum Festivus pole lot and even more museum items from the set of one of the most popular, award-winning and longest-running comedy series of all time. All episodes of Seinfeld underare now available to stream on Hulu's No Commercials plan and Limited Commercials plan.

Fox has ordered a full season of 22 episodes of new comedy The Grinder. Season to date, The Grinder has delivered year-over-year gains, lifting Fox's average in the time period by +70% among Adults 18-49 versus last fall. In the next all-new episode of The Grinder, "A Bittersweet Grind (Une Mouture Amer)," airing Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 8:30PM ET/PT (if no World Series Game 6), just as Dean (Rob Lowe) prepares to give up on what he thinks is a hopeless search for love, he is reunited with Gail (guest star Christina Applegate), an old flame who restores his belief in romance. Meanwhile, Deb (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) encourages Stewart (Fred Savage) to change his strict ways and let Lizzie (Hana Hayes) have a supervised date with Joel Zadak (guest star Johnowen Lowe).

Meanwhile, CBS has given a full-season, 22 episode order to Life In Pieces. The new comedy is averaging 10.26 million and 3.5/9 Adult 25-54 rating/share. In its most recent broadcast on Oct. 19, Life In Pieces delivered its highest live plus same day adult 18-49 rating since its series premiere. On Nov. 5, Life In Pieces moves to it new regular time period on Thursdays at 8:30PM, ET/PT as part the Network's launch of entertainment programming on the night. The comedy will continue to follow #1 rated comedy The Big Bang Theory. Dianne Wiest, James Brolin, Zoe Lister-Jones, Colin Hanks, Angelique Cabral, Thomas Sadoski, Betsy Brandt, Dan Bakkedahl, Niall Cunningham, Holly J. Barrett and Giselle Eisenberg star.

CBS and People's Choice Awards announced that multiple award-winning actress Jane Lynch will host People's Choice Awards 2016, live from the Microsoft Theater, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016 from 9:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. Lynch stars in the upcoming CBS comedy Angel From Hell, scheduled to premiere in February 2016. Lynch is a four-time People's Choice Award nominee and won for Favorite TV Comedy Actress in 2011 for Glee. The final nominees across 65 categories for People's Choice Awards 2016 will be announced at the annual Nominations Announcement Press Conference on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015 at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. As for Lynch's upcoming new comedy, Angel From Hell, it is a new comedy about Amy (Lynch), a colorful, brassy woman who insinuates herself into the life of an organized and seemingly perfect young woman, Allison (Maggie Lawson), claiming to be her "guardian angel."

Life in Pieces - Mondays at 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres Monday, September 21, 2015 at 8:30PM ET/PT

by Skees


Cast Details:

Dianne Wiest as Joan Short
James Brolin as John Short
Zoe Lister-Jones as Jen Short
Colin Hanks as Greg Short
Angelique Cabral as Colleen
Thomas Sadoski as Matt Short
Betsy Brandt as Heather Short
Dan Bakkedahl as Tim

Dianne Wiest (Joan) is an accomplished actress who has won numerous awards, including two Emmys, two Academy Awards, and a Golden Globe. She began acting as a student at the University of Maryland, and transitioned to film by the 1980s. Her first starring role in the movies came in Footloose. She is also known for her starring role in the Steve Martin film Parenthood. Despite all of her accomplishments, this marks her first appearance in a sitcom, though she has appeared in a regular role on the series Law & Order.

James Brolin (John) got his start as an actor in several guest appearances on TV series, but he bumped that up to a starring role when he was cast opposite Robert Young in the medical drama Marcus Welby, MD. Later, he starred in the ABC prime-time soap opera Hotel, and in the late 90s, he starred in the syndicated series Pensacola: Wings of Gold.

Zoe Lister-Jones (Jen) has appeared in several independent films, and gained TV prominence with a starring role in the NBC sitcom Whitney. She was also a regular in the short-lived Friends with Better Lives, and most recently, she had a recurring role on New Girl.

Colin Hanks (Greg) had his first TV appearance on the series Roswell. He has also appeared in Mad Men, The Good Guys, and most recently, Fargo. He is the son of Tom Hanks.

Angelique Cabral (Colleen) started out doing soap operas almost exclusively, including Guiding Light, All My Children, and One Life to Live. She eventually appeared in guest roles on several sitcoms, including a regular role on Fox's Enlisted.

Thomas Sadoski (Matt) got his debut in the film Loser. His television credentials include guest roles in multiple series in the Law & Order franchise and eight episodes of As the World Turns.

Betsy Brandt (Heather) is best known for her role of Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad. She also starred in The Michael J. Fox Show, as well as episodes of the TV series Parenthood and Masters of Sex.

Dan Bakkedahl (Tim) appeared as a correspondent on The Daily Show from 2005 until 2007. He had a regular role on the series Legit, and has had recurring roles on Veep, The Goldbergs, and The Mindy Project.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs September 21 at 8:30PM ET)

The Short family is living life in pieces. Joan (Dianne Wiest) and John (James Brolin) are the elders, adjusting to getting old, as best as they can. Son Greg (Colin Hanks) and his wife Jen (Zoe Lister-Jones) are adjusting to life as new parents. Daughter Heather (Betsy Brandt) and Tim (Dan Bakkedahl) are adjusting to life as old parents, facing their own children ready to fly from the nest. And son Matt (Thomas Sadoski) is just trying to find romance with Colleen (Angelique Cabral), that is, if she can get rid of her ex-boyfriend who happens to own her house (cameo appearance by Jordan Peele). They're going to have to find a way to get through it all together.

Analysis:

This is not at all a sitcom made for traditional television. Sitcoms on broadcast (and even cable) have been consistent in their format of having their "A story," the one that is the main focus of the episode, then a "B story," and occasionally a "C story" and a "D story." This series seems to try to cram four "A stories" into one episode, and it is virtually impossible to make that work consistently in 20 minutes each week, particularly when the four stories are being isolated into a five minute block (think of those cartoons that you watched in the 80s, where each episode had multiple unrelated stories). In watching the pilot, I couldn't really get a good feeling for who the characters really were or learn anything about their personality, with the exception of perhaps James Brolin's character. Most of them were just two-dimensional with little or no personality. They did somewhat tie all of the stories together in the fourth story, which I'm not sure if that will be a regular feature, but even that didn't do a whole lot. By and large, I felt like I was watching four different shows... with a lot of nothing happening in each of them.

For that reason, I think that this series probably would have been a better fit for something like Netflix or Hulu, where the episodes could be a bit longer than the standard sitcom length, and they would be able to use as much time as needed to actually tell four individual stories. In fact, in the review version of the pilot that I watched (which came with the disclaimer that it wasn't a final broadcast version, and I'm sure it wasn't) seemed to be designed for something other than network television, with some language and a lot more sexual discourse than I have come to expect from network television. It is almost as if the pilot was written and even produced with something other than CBS in mind. I don't know whether or not that is the case, though, because all of the information that I've found about it online shows it being tied to CBS all along.

The series was a bit lacking on the laughs as well. There were a few minor chuckles, but a lot of the things that were supposed to be funny were just about sex, sex, and more sex. You could either laugh at those moments, or not, and if you don't, there are two real reasons: either you are offended by it or it just isn't all that funny. I honestly have to say, I just thought it wasn't all that funny. At other times, the series didn't feel like a comedy at all, but more like a drama... except there wasn't any real drama going on (the 70th birthday funeral themed party was about as dramatic as it got, and that was all in fun).

The real misfortune, though, is that the casting and stars that they managed to get for the series are pretty good. But what good is a cast when the series itself is lacking? That isn't to mention that none of the cast members seem to be able to shine with the size of the cast.

Conclusion:

This show is in pieces... literally. I see what CBS was going for here. Basically, they wanted a clone of what ABC has with Modern Family (which is a bit odd considering that Modern Family, while still a popular series and a reliable hit for ABC, is by not even close to being the pop-culture phenomenon it was when it debuted), and are attempting to run it on a network that hasn't really seen any success with comedies like this one. Having The Big Bang Theory as a lead-in will help in the ratings, I suppose, but I can't help but to wonder how much that will even do. There is always a possibility that lead-in could in fact help it float into a second season, but I still can't imagine this series being thought of as anything more than "that show after The Big Bang Theory." Given that status of being "that show after The Big Bang Theory," anything is possible with this show. Without that status, though, I think it could probably just as easily be the first cancellation of the season. And personally, I can't really say that I particularly look forward to watching it as the season goes on.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 2/5
Overall: 2.5/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Monday, September 21, 2015 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

CBS.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Life in Pieces Photo Gallery

Preview:





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 September 21-25, 2015, 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!


Sunday, September 20, 2015

• Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules) - Catch Kaley on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Andy is a guest on People.com Chatter.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy (The Muppets) - Watch Kermit and Miss Piggy on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat) - Randall visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on HuffPost Live at 2pm and on the AOL Build Show.
• Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Allison is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse stops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke appears on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• John Hodgman (Married) and Ron Funches (Undateable) - John and Ron are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Scott Bakula (Eisenhower and Lutz/Murphy Brown) - Scott will be on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am and on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Dianne Wiest and James Brolin (Life in Pieces) - Dianne and James discuss their new CBS comedy Life in Pieces on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Debra Messing (Will & Grace) - Debra talks about The Mysteries of Laura on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 9am hour. She will also be on The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Steve is a guest on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Dirk and Joel are guests on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly) - Billy joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Pamela Anderson (Stacked) - Pamela talks about her new book Raw on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Nat Wolff (The Naked Brothers Band) - Nat talks about Ashby on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer talks about Minority Report on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Catch Anthony on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. He will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Emma Roberts (Scream Queens) - Emma is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Kristen Schaal (The Last Man on Earth/Bob's Burgers/30 Rock) - Kristen appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Seaton Smith (Mulaney) - Seaton drops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Ron Funches (Undateable) - Ron is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Donald Glover (Community) - Donald stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal discusses the ninth season premiere of The Big Bang Theory and his new book on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Pamela Anderson (Stacked) - Pamela talks about her new book Raw on The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings. She will also be on The Howard Stern Show.
• Jake McDorman (Manhattan Love Story/Are You There, Chelsea?/Quintuplets) - Jake will be on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am.
• Skyler Samuels (Scream Queens/Wizards of Waverly Place) - Skyler talks about her new show Scream Queens on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT. She will also be on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Jamie Lee Curtis (Scream Queens/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT. She also talks about Scream Queens on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour and on People.com Chatter.
• Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Stark Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil talks about Best Time Ever on NBC's Today on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) - Margaret talks about Psy-Cho on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke talks about Scream Queens on NBC's Today in the 9am hour and on The Real, so check your local listings. She will also be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Nat Wolff (The Naked Brothers Band) - Nat is a guest on People Now.
• Malcolm-Jamal Warner (The Cosby Show/Malcolm & Eddie) - Malcolm-Jamal talks about his Selfless album on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Charles Esten (The Crew/The Brian Benben Show) - Charles will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

• Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Watch Andrew on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. He also talks about The Intern on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) - Will stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Ron Funches (Undateable) - Ron is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Tim Allen (Last Man Standing/Home Improvement) - Tim drops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Sandra Bernhard (2 Broke Girls/Roseanne) - Sandra appears on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development) - Portia is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Nat Wolff (The Naked Brothers Band) - Nat talks about his new film The Intern on The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings. He will also be on the AOL Build Show and on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Morris Chestnut (Nurse Jackie/Out All Night) - Morris hangs out on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings. He also talks about his new medical drama Rosewood on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• William Devane (The Grinder) - William talks about his new show The Grinder on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Holly Robinson Peete (For Your Love/Hangin' with Mr. Cooper) - Holly is a guest on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Cloris Leachman (Raising Hope/The Facts of Life/Phyllis) - Cloris talks about This Is Happening on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons - Anthony chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. He will also be on the AOL Build Show.
• Jaleel White (Family Matters/Grown Ups) - Jaleel talks about Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs/Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Wendi McClendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement/Reno 911!) - Jeff and Wendi are guests on People.com Chatter.
• Hilary Duff (Younger/Lizzie McGuire) - Hilary and her sister, Haylie, are guests on People Now.
• Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Melissa will be on People Now.
• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Sofia appears on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) - Watch Joseph on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Micky Dolenz (The Monkees) - Micky sits in with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/Welcome to New York) - Jim visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jerrod Carmichael (The Carmichael Show) - Jerrod stops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Ron Funches (Undateable) and Chris D'Elia (Undateable/Whitney) - Ron and Chris are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly) - Billy drops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Kristen Schaal (The Last Man on Earth/Bob's Burgers/30 Rock) - Kristen appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Pamela Anderson (Stacked) - Pamela visits Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Scott Foley (The Goodwin Games/A.U.S.A./Scrubs) - Scott is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Zachary Levi (Less Than Perfect) - Zachary talks about Heroes Reborn on NBC's Today in the 9am hour. He will also be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (check your local listings), on the AOL Build Show and on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Rita Moreno (Happily Divorced) - Rita will be on NBC's Today in the 9am hour and on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Debra Messing (Will & Grace) - Debra talks about the new season of The Mysteries of Laura on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke is a guest on People Now.
• Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) - Will chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Morris Chestnut (Nurse Jackie/Out All Night) - Morris appears on The Real, so check your local listings.

Friday, September 25, 2015

• Fred Savage (The Grinder/Working/The Wonder Years) - Watch Fred on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. He will also be on the AOL Build Show.
• John Stamos (Grandfathered/Jake in Progress/Full House) - John is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Tina appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Nick Jonas (Jonas L.A.) - Nick will be on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke appears on The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Joel McHale (Community) - NBC's Today has the Best of Celebrity Games in the 10am hour.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) - Joseph appears on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Connie Britton (Spin City/The Fighting Fitzgeralds/Lost at Home) - Connie will be on Morning Joe on MSNBC sometime between 6-9am.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated 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!

CBS announced a multi-phase launch for its new season, with fall 2015 primetime premiere dates spanning the start of NFL Thursday Night Football on Sept. 17 to the return of its Thursday entertainment lineup on Nov. 5. On Thursday, Sept. 17: NFL Thursday Night Football premieres on CBS with Denver @ Kansas City (Pre-Game at 7:30 PM, ET; Kick-Off at 8:25 PM, ET). In premiere week, Monday, Sept. 21: The season premiere of The Big Bang Theory (8:00-8:30 PM) leads into the debut of new comedy Life In Pieces (8:30-9:00 PM), followed by the season premieres of Scorpion (9:00-10:00 PM) and NCIS: LA (10:00-11:00 PM). Tuesday, Sept. 22: The season premiere of NCIS (8:00-9:00 PM) is followed by NCIS: New Orleans (9:00-10:00 PM), leading into the series premiere of new drama Limitless (10:00-11:00 PM). Wednesday, Sept. 23: A big night of reality that begins with the 90-minute season premiere of the 31st edition of Survivor (8:00-9:30 PM), followed by the 90-minute season finale of the summer reality show Big Brother (9:30-11:00 PM). Friday, Sept. 25: The 27th edition of The Amazing Race debuts (8:00-9:00 PM), followed by season premieres of Hawaii Five-0 (9:00-10:00 PM) and Blue Bloods (10:00-11:00 PM). Saturday, Sept 26: 48 Hours premieres (10:00-11:00 PM). And on Sunday, Sept. 27: 60 Minutes premieres (7:30-9:00 PM), followed by the special two-hour series finale of CSI (9:00-11:00 PM).

During the second week, the premieres are on Wednesday, Sept. 30 with the season premiere of Criminal Minds (9:00-10:00 PM) is followed by the series premiere of new drama Code Black (10:00-11:00 PM). On Sunday, Oct. 4, new seasons of Madam Secretary (8:00-9:00 PM) and The Good Wife (9:00-10:00 PM) premiere, followed by the time period launch of CSI: Cyber (10:00-11:00 PM). And finally, once NFL Thursday Night Football ends, on Monday, Oct. 26 following an original episode of The Big Bang Theory (8:00-8:30 PM), Supergirl makes its series debut at a special time (8:30-9:30 PM), followed by Scorpion (9:30-10:30 PM) and a comedy rebroadcast (10:30-11:00 PM). Supergirl moves into its regular time period (8:00-9:00 PM) on Monday, Nov. 2, while Scorpion returns to 9:00-10:00 PM. Thursday, Nov. 5: CBS's Thursday night entertainment lineup returns with The Big Bang Theory (8:00-8:30 PM) and Life In Pieces (8:30-9:00 PM) moving to their regular time periods, followed by the season premiere of Mom (9:00-9:30 PM), the series debut of new comedy Angel from Hell (9:30-10:00 PM) and Elementary (10:00-11:00 PM).

Comedian Iliza Shlesinger (Excused, Last Comic Standing) has been named the host of the upcoming TBS series Separation Anxiety, a comedic, relationship-based game show featuring a unique twist that isn't revealed to contestants until after they've played the game. TBS has ordered 14 one-hour episodes of Separation Anxiety, with plans to launch the show in late 2015. The series, which was announced in May during Turner's Upfront presentation in New York, is being produced by 5x5 Media and Electus. Shlesinger is the only female and youngest comedian to hold the title of NBC's Last Comic Standing. In 2013, her debut one-hour comedy special, War Paint, reached #1 on the iTunes charts and was named one of the Top 10 Albums of 2013 on iTunes. In early 2015, Shlesinger's follow up Netflix Original Comedy Special Freezing Hot sealed her title as one of the hottest touring acts in America, selling out clubs and theatres across the nation. Esquire recently listed her as one of the top working comedians today.