SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

The MeTV Network will welcome one of television's most beloved families to its daytime lineup this January. The Waltons will air weekdays, premiering on Wednesday, January 1, 2020 at 12PM | 11C. Additionally, two classic cop dramas will join the weekday schedule when Adam-12 and Dragnet report for duty starting New Year's Day, with Adam-12 weekdays at 5:00pm & 5:30pm and Dragnet in the mornings at 5:30am & 6am. Other weekday changes are I Love Lucy at 6:30am and In the Heat of the Night now at 11am. That's not all! Sunday night has a new look, beginning with the early 90-minute episodes of Columbo (1971–1978) at 8PM | 7C. That leads into an all-new season of Collector's Call at 9:30PM | 8:30C (premiering January 12). Host Lisa Whelchel (The Facts of Life) returns to uncover even more stunning collections — and some surprising guest stars from The Brady Bunch, the Winter Olympics and beyond! Then, MeTV is pairing up The Flintstones with The Honeymooners — the sitcom that inspired the cartoon — at 10PM & 10:30PM. You can still catch The Flintstones weekdays 6-7P and Sundays 10A-12N. View the full MeTV Network Winter 2020 schedule.

IFC announced that the fourth and final season of its critically-acclaimed series Brockmire starring Hank Azaria will premiere in March 2020. Returning for the series' final season are Amanda Peet, Tyrel Jackson Williams and Katie Finneran. Additionally, Reina Hardesty (The Flash) has joined the series' line-up for the final eight episodes. Brockmire Seasons 1-3 are currently available to watch on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and XBOX. Season 1 and 2 are also available on Hulu, with Season 3 joining Wednesday, January 1, 2020.

Brockmire follows Jim Brockmire (Azaria), a famed major league baseball announcer who suffered a notorious public breakdown after stumbling upon his wife's (Finneran) infidelity – a breakdown so bad that "Brutal Brockmire" became a viral internet meme. Season 1 began a decade later, as Brockmire looked to reclaim his career and reputation by calling games for the Morristown Frackers, an underdog minor league baseball team. Despite finding happiness in Morristown alongside his girlfriend/team owner Jules (Peet), Season 2 began with a newly-single Brockmire calling games in New Orleans and living with his co-dependent friend Charles (Williams)...while fully indulging in the city's booze-riddled sins. When a drug-fueled night of partying with a stranger ends with a near-death experience, Brockmire realizes it's time to get sober once and for all. Season 3 took place one year after a stint in rehab, with Brockmire doing play-by-play in the radio booth for the major leagues in central Florida while maintaining his brazen and narcissistic tendencies, despite actually being on the wagon.

ABC's hit fall series mixed-ish and Stumptown have been given full-season orders, while The Rookie received a spring season pickup. ABC's mixed-ish is the No. 1 new comedy of the season in Adults 18-49. The new ABC comedy grows to a 1.80 rating with Adults 18-49 across all platforms in L+7. Stumptown is the No. 1 playback gainer for a new series this season in Total Viewers, soaring by nearly +4.0 million viewers after seven days to double its Live + Same Day average (+99%). Through its first three episodes, the new ABC drama is averaging 9.7 million Total Viewers and a 2.18 rating with Adults 18-49 across all platforms in L+7. Season to date, The Rookie is improving its new Sunday time slot for ABC by triple digits in Total Viewers (+214%) and Adults 18-49 (+175%), marking ABC's most-watched series in the time slot in four years. A big gainer in delayed viewing, The Rookie more than doubles its Live + Same Day Total Viewer average (+103%) and Adult 18-49 rating (+117%) after seven days of TV playback.

Lifetime's It's a Wonderful Lifetime slate just sleighed the holidays even more with a special surprise! Premiering December 1 at 8pm ET/PT, You Light Up My Christmas from executive producer and star Kim Fields, brings back together the wonderful actresses of the beloved sitcom The Facts of Life, with Fields, Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn and Nancy McKeon sharing the screen once again for special appearances. Inspired by true events, You Light Up My Christmas is the story of Emma (Fields), who returns to her hometown built around her family's pioneer Christmas Light Factory two weeks before Christmas. However, upon Emma's return, she discovers the lights have gone dim in the once festive town, prompting her to reconnect with an old flame (Adrian Holmes) to set their hearts and the town ablaze with light again. You Light Up My Christmas is produced by Johnson Production Group. Tim Johnson, Kim Fields and Art Rutter serve as executive producers.

TVGN is tapping into the CBS/Paramount library with some TV classics. They are adding sitcoms and dramas from various eras: Wings, Family Ties, The Love Boat, JAG, Joan of Arcadia and 7th Heaven. They will join existing CBS/Paramount series Cheers and Sony's Who's the Boss? on the line-up. Some of these series have already started and are airing in a block format weekly in the afternoons. Series still to premiere include: The Love Boat, which begins on Thursday, July 31 with a block from 12-4pm, while 7th Heaven will be aired as a strip beginning Monday, Aug. 4 airing weekdays at noon. Afternoon blocks will be as follow: JAG on Mondays, Family Ties on Tuesdays, Wings/Cheers on Wednesdays, The Love Boat on Thursdays and Joan of Arcadia on Fridays, all from about 12-4pm (then 1-4pm once 7th Heaven starts). Who's the Boss? will air weekdays from 9-10am (times vary). This is certainly great news and we hope TVGN gets even more sitcoms/dramas from that CBS/Paramount library. Perhaps Webster or Dear John?

The premiere of Hallmark Channel's original movie For Better or For Worse, starring Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields (The Facts of Life), became Hallmark Channel's highest rated and most watched original movie of 2014 to-date, as well as the #1 household-rated cable movie of the week and day, averaging a 1.8 household rating with 1.6 million homes. The film also struck a chord in key demo ratings, making the network #1 in total viewers (0.9 rtg) and #2 among women 18-49 (0.8 rtg) and women 25-54 (0.9 rtg). The world premiere of For Better or Worse reached more than 3.0 million unduplicated viewers. In the movie, Facts of Life alumnae Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields reunite in an adaptation of the bestselling novel For Better Or For Worse by Diann Hunt. Antonio Cupo, Edward Ruttle and Alicia Josipovic co-starred in this romantic comedy about a woman who learned that opening herself up to a second chance at love may allow her to find true happiness again.

Mmm hmmm! A Facts of Life reunion is in the works on a Hallmark movie! Lisa Whelchel reunites with The Facts of Life co-star Kim Fields in For Better Or For Worse, a Hallmark Channel Original Movie World Premiere for Fall 2014. The film, which is an adaptation of the bestselling novel For Better Or For Worse by Diann Hunt, has begun production in Vancouver, Canada. Antonio Cupo (Hats Off To Christmas!) co-stars alongside Whelchel and Fields in this heartwarming romantic comedy about a woman who learns that perhaps there is such a thing as second chances when facing the pleasures and pains of love. Wendy (Whelchel) is finally starting to settle into the single life after struggling with the death of her husband. After a difficult season of grief, she's taken over the family business of coordinating the town's most beautiful and memorable weddings with the help of her friend and co-worker Roseanne (Fields). However, when the charming and incredibly irritating Marco (Cupo) opens a legal practice that specializes in divorces right next to her wedding chapel, Wendy is going to make sure that she stops at nothing to promote her business and the sanctity of marriage. Along the way, Wendy learns that self-discovery and moving on are the ways to finding true happiness.

NBC and Don Mischer Productions announced the nominations for the American Comedy Awards, airing Thursday, May 15 from 9-11pm ET/PT on NBC. The American Comedy Awards is one of the only award shows in which the winners are determined through a combination of fan voting and voting among entertainment industry professionals. The American Comedy Awards will honor those who have achieved new heights during the past year in both film and television, as well as pay tribute to some of comedy's most enduring personalities. The telecast will acknowledge the work of stand-ups, those who specialize in movies and the actors and actresses who are seen by millions on TV every week. Comedy Central leads the nominations with a total of 12, followed by NBC with 11. In the film categories, This Is the End snagged 7 nominations, followed by Nebraska with 6. In the TV categories, NBC's Parks and Recreation leads all series with 6 nods, while Key & Peele and Modern Family follow with 5 nominations each.

Here are the television comedy portion nominees:

COMEDY SERIES
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
Saturday Night Live
Veep

ALTERNATIVE COMEDY SERIES
Archer
Drunk History
Key & Peele
Kroll Show
Portlandia

COMEDY ACTOR - TV
Fred Armisen, Portlandia
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele
Jordan Peele, Key & Peele
Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

COMEDY ACTRESS - TV
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR - TV
Aziz Ansari, Parks and Recreation
Will Arnett, Arrested Development
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Tony Hale, Veep

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS - TV
Vanessa Bayer, Saturday Night Live
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Chelsea Peretti, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Aubrey Plaza, Parks and Recreation

COMEDY WRITING - TV
Arrested Development
The Colbert Report
Key & Peele
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation

COMEDY DIRECTING - TV
Arrested Development
Eastbound & Down
Key & Peele
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation

Today we have a special "Seven Questions" interview with the very likeable & nice Lisa Whelchel, who of course played Blair Warner on the hit '80s sitcom The Facts of Life from 1979-88. In 2012, she tied for second place and was voted fan favorite on Survivor: Philippines. This month (Dec. 13), she now co-stars in Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas, in theatres nationwide. She is also promoting a new workout DVD: Lisa Whelchel's Everyday Workout for the Everyday Woman. It is the first workout DVD from the popular Facts of Life star, Survivor runner-up, author, and mom of three. With the help of her trainer, Lisa leads two inspiring and accessible total-body workouts geared towards beginners with a friendly, encouraging vibe and modifications for ALL levels plus useful personal training tips. The DVD is from Acacia and can be ordered today (since Dec. 3).

We talked to her about the The Facts of Life experience obviously, her Survivor experience, what motivated her to make this workout DVD, if she keeps in touch with her Facts of Life co-stars, how she almost took a role on Hello, Larry instead, and getting back in the acting game, including wanting to get back on a sitcom. Calling all studios and networks, Lisa wants to be on a sitcom! TV Land? ABC? Anyone? Lisa is busier than ever, so let's get right to another installment of "Seven Questions!"

"Seven Questions with Lisa Whelchel of The Facts of Life"



SitcomsOnline: Hello Lisa! Thanks for talking to us. We're longtime fans of yours and The Facts of Life is one of our favorite sitcoms ever! You look amazing at age 50 (which you don't look AT ALL, by the way), so what is your secret of staying and looking young?
Lisa Whelchel: I love it (about Facts of Life)! Thank you very much (about looking great)! I don't think I can take credit for it. I just have good genes. My mom looks young, my grandmother looked young. That's pretty much it (laughs).



SitcomsOnline: And now you have this workout DVD out in stores since Dec. 3! Can you tell us how the idea came about for your workout DVD (Lisa Whelchel's Everyday Workout for the Everyday Woman)?
Lisa Whelchel: Yeah, I was approached by Acacia after being on Survivor. I guess they figured I was in pretty good shape for my age and that maybe I can help other women my age get in shape but I wasn't initially interested in the idea because I thought I was the last person in the world who should make an exercise DVD because I don't enjoy exercise. Then I thought maybe I can make an exercise DVD for women's who don't enjoy exercising then maybe I could pull it off.



SitcomsOnline: You were incredible on Survivor: Philippines as well last year (we thought you were going to win it!). America fell in love with you all over again it seems after watching you on Survivor! If you didn't participate on that show, do you think you still would have worked on making the workout DVD?
Lisa Whelchel: Thank you. Probably not, yeah I think that's how they approached me. I did really work hard to get in shape for Survivor. That show was a million times harder than it looks and that I thought it would be. The elements were tougher...the 17 days of straight rain, the rats, and the bugs...you know, the hunger, all that was harder and even more than that just the emotional conflict of playing the game once you really care about people was a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be as well. And I do think Denise deserved it (to win). She played a good game!



SitcomsOnline: You know we're a sitcom website so we have to mention The Facts of Life! What was it about Blair Warner that you liked the most? And what qualities did you two share and didn't share?
Lisa Whelchel: Well I think the thing I liked about her the most was probably the qualities we didn't share and yet I got an opportunity to (laughs) act that way. You know, I think I would have gotten into trouble if I acted like Blair. My mother would've just punished me (laughs) or grounded me in some way but I got to...let all that kind of, you know, spoiled attitudes come out in the part and it was actually really fun.

SitcomsOnline: Would Blair Warner actually make a fitness DVD you think? I just don't see her working out like that. Are the types of workouts on your DVD so easy that even Blair can do them?
Lisa Whelchel: No, I don't think so (making a fitness DVD)...although she might be more inclined to do my DVD than Jillian Michaels because I think Jillian Michaels actually makes you sweat to the point that your mascara might run and my workout DVD doesn't. So you can grip it and glow, without sweating.



SitcomsOnline: The Facts of Life cast has reunited a few times (a TV movie in 2001 and at the 2011 TV Land Awards), but other than that - do all of you still keep in touch regularly? If you had to pick one person, who is the one that you're the closest to? Can you also share with us how you almost passed on Facts of Life originally for Hello, Larry? You made the right call!
Lisa Whelchel: I keep in touch with all of them, although we're spread out all over the country, so we rarely all get together at the same time and since Nancy McKeon and I have both been living in Texas for the last, you know many years, I've had more opportunities to spend time with her. Yeah, I guess in the second season of Hello, Larry the older sister was let go because of a drug problem so they had to recast her and I auditioned and got the part but it was the same time that I also auditioned for the pilot of The Facts of Life so I had to choose. And I chose the Facts of Life. I think so, too (about her decision). I agree.



SitcomsOnline: Finally, you're back in the acting game! We can't wait to see you in Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas! Tell us about your experience on that movie and returning to acting in general. We need you back on our TV screens weekly, preferably on a sitcom (TV Land would be good). Any word on that? And thanks for your time--we truly appreciate it! Best of luck!
Lisa Whelchel: I agree totally! You know what, yesterday, my whole family went out to dinner and I went around the table and I said, 'if we were sitting here this time next year, Christmas 2014, you know, what would you like to say that you're thankful that happened?' So everyone went around and some of them said different things and I said 'I would like to say I'm thankful that I finally got to be on another sitcom' so that's probably my biggest thing on my Christmas wish list this year. You know what, I certainly consider anything that looks it was going to be funny and good quality and not terribly filthy (laughs). But I love being on the Tyler Perry movie because it is kind of like a 90-minute '80s sitcom. It is a lot of broad humor and so much fun and it has a good message at the end. And would you tell everybody at Sitcoms Online how much I appreciate, you know, their love and support and I'm very grateful for them!



We definitely appreciate Lisa for taking the time to give us an interview to talk about her workout DVD, her sitcom experience and what she is up to now. She is so very nice and as everyone can tell from reading this interview, she's so humble. We wish her the best and we will continue to see her on TV/movies for many years to come. That'll do it for this installment of "Seven Questions," stay tuned next time for another brand new interview! But first, don't forget to check out Lisa Whelchel all over the web and social media. Follow her everywhere!

• Lisa Whelchel Official Website
• Lisa Whelchel on Twitter
• Lisa Whelchel on Facebook
• Lisa Whelchel on IMDb
• Lisa Whelchel on Wikipedia

Purchase Lisa Whelchel's Everyday Workout for the Everyday Woman on DVD from Amazon.com .

The CW announced its midseason schedule, including the premiere of two new dramas, Star-Crossed and The 100, and the second cycle of the hit comedy/improv series Whose Line Is It Anyway? In February, the futuristic story of an alien/human romance begins with the premiere of Star-Crossed on Monday, February 17 at 8:00pm ET, leading into another epic romance, Beauty and the Beast. The current Monday 8pm timeslot holder, Hart of Dixie, following a brief hiatus will return with a new night and time on Fridays at 9:00pm ET, beginning March 21. In March, the human race returns to planet Earth in the post-apocalyptic adventure drama, The 100, which will premiere on Wednesday, March 19 at 9:00pm ET, following hit drama Arrow. As a result, The Tomorrow People will transport to its new night and time on Mondays at 9:00pm ET, beginning March 17, following fellow new series Star-Crossed. After the March 10 telecast, Beauty and the Beast will go on hiatus and will return to the schedule with original episodes at a date to be announced.

The hit comedy/improv series Whose Line Is It Anyway? will be back with a second cycle on Friday, March 21 with new episodes at 8:00 and 8:30pm ET. Subsequent weeks will feature original episodes at 8:00pm and encore episodes at 8:30pm. Encore episodes from the first season of Whose Line Is It Anyway? will air Fridays at 8:00pm and 8:30pm from February 14 through March 14 to get ready for the new season. Currently airing in the Friday at 8pm slot is The Carrie Diaries, but that will end its season on Jan. 31 after its 13th episode. No word yet if that will be back after this season, so stay tuned. Stay with us for any continued updates on The CW in midseason!