SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

by Vincent

Last week, ABC aired its most recent Live in Front of a Studio Audience edition, which celebrated The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes. As is the case with Live in Front, the show reenacted episodes of these classic sitcoms with modern comedy actors. It continues to surprise me the huge names these shows are able to get, with Jennifer Aniston and Jon Stewart among others participating in the The Facts of Life episode and Kevin Hart in the Diff'rent Strokes episode. The Live in Front reenactments also stay really true to the original episodes, and offer a really fun look back at these classic sitcoms.

Overall, Live in Front is a must watch for any classic sitcom fan. However, it also makes me miss the fun of skilled multi-camera on television. It really is something special to see these huge actors recreating classic sitcom moments they grew up with just like we did. With network TV becoming less and less of a reliable delivery method of high quality scripted entertainment, these live celebrations are a nice reminder of when it was at the heights of its powers.

Cable's #3 comedy American Dad! has been renewed by TBS for seasons 18 and 19. Co-creator Matt Weitzman and executive producer Brian Boyle have inked new deals to continue showrunning and executive producing the additional seasons, from 20th Television Animation. The 17th season of American Dad! premieres on Monday, January 24, on TBS at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT.

American Dad! centers on super patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and the misadventures of his unconventional family in Langley Falls, VA. Stan applies the same drastic measures used in his job at the CIA to his home life, where Stan's blissfully unaware wife, Francine (Wendy Schaal), has an unfaltering loyalty that makes her blind to his unabashed arrogance. His left-wing activist daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), however, doesn't let him off so easily – and knows just how to push her father's buttons. Hayley's brother is the geeky-yet-confident Steve (Scott Grimes), a kid who spends his time playing video games and obsessing about the opposite sex. The Smith cabinet is rounded out by two rather unconventional members: Roger (MacFarlane), a sassy, sarcastic and routinely inappropriate space alien, and Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker), an attention-starved goldfish with the brain of a German Olympic skier.

by Vincent

This week, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia returned for its landmark 15th season on FX. The show has remained one of the funniest shows on TV through and through, and even though it isn't always as consistent as it was in its prime, it's incredible that it still manages to be as funny and consistent as it has been.

Always Sunny season 15 has promised to bring some of the realities of our world to the show's twisted universe. Being the show's first season since 2019, the world has obviously become a very different place since then, and without giving too much away, the premiere addresses this in typically funny Always Sunny ways. The ending of the episode in particular is one for the ages, and shows that even as the world changes, Always Sunny will always be its twisted, reliable self.

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes adds more star power to its cast ahead of the live show airing on ABC, Tuesday, Dec. 7 (8:00-9:30 p.m. EST). Jon Stewart takes on a mystery role in The Facts of Life episode. Who will he play? You'll have to tune-in to see! There will be other special cameos as well. Still no word on which episodes are being recreated, but for Diff'rent Strokes the word is that it will be "Willis' Privacy" from season one which had Arnold as Super Arnold.

The live special event produced by Sony Pictures Television will feature reenactments of the hit series The Facts of Life, created by Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon, and Diff'rent Strokes, created by Bernie Kukoff and Jeff Harris, and will reunite executive producers Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows. Previously announced cast members taking on the famed Diff'rent Strokes roles include John Lithgow, who will play Mr. Drummond; Kevin Hart, assuming the role of Arnold; and Damon Wayans, who will play Willis. The Facts of Life will feature Jennifer Aniston, playing the role of Blair; Gabrielle Union, taking on the role of Tootie; Allison Tolman, who will play Natalie; Kathryn Hahn, recreating the role of Jo; and Ann Dowd, who will tackle the role of Mrs. Garrett in both episodes.

Actor Eddie Mekka, who was best known for his role as Carmine Ragusa on Laverne & Shirley, has died. He died in Newhall, California, on November 27. Mr. Mekka was 69.

Mekka starred as Carmine Ragusa on the 1976-1983 ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley. He appeared in 150 of the 178 episodes during the show's eight seasons. Carmine was Shirley's (Cindy Williams) high-school sweetheart and on-again, off-again romance. He was known by the name "The Big Ragoo" and was a part-time boxer and former Golden Gloves champion. He owns a dance studio and was constantly working to make it big as a dancer and singer. Mekka appeared as Carmine Ragusa in two episodes of Happy Days. The cast of Laverne & Shirley also included Penny Marshall, Michael McKean, David L. Lander, Phil Foster, Betty Garrett (1976-1981), Carole Ita White (1976-1977), Ed Marinaro (1980-1981) and Leslie Easterbrook (1980-1983).

He starred as Joey DeLuca on the short-lived 1977 ABC sitcom Blansky's Beauties. Joey DeLuca was the choreographer of the Las Vegas showgirls' big numbers at the Oasis Hotel. He was a younger cousin to Carmine Ragusa, Mekka's 1950s-era character on Laverne & Shirley. The Garry Marshall created and produced series also starred Nancy Walker, Caren Kaye, Lynda Goodfriend, Johnny Desmond, Scott Baio, George Pentecost, Taaffe O'Connell, Rhonda Bates, Bond Gideon, Gerri Reddick, Shirley Kirkes, Antoinette Yuskis, Jill Owens, Elaine Bolton and Pat Morita.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat (3 episodes), The Munsters Today, Family Matters (2 episodes), California Dreams, Dream On, Weird Science, The Jamie Foxx Show, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Pastor Greg (2 episodes) and Childrens Hospital.

Some of his drama guest appearances included Fantasy Island (4 episodes), Moonlighting, True Blue, The Big Easy, Power Rangers Wild Force, 24, Crossing Jordan and ER. His soap opera guest appearances included Guiding Light, The Bold and the Beautiful, Sunset Beach and The Young and the Restless.

He had a small role as the dance partner of Mae (Madonna) in the bar in the 1992 film A League of Their Own, which was directed by Penny Marshall. Some of his other film credits included Top of the World (1997), Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003), Dreamgirls (2006) and C Me Dance (2009). He played Detective Murdoch in the 1998 Fox television movie Catch Me If You Can.

Mekka was also known for his theater work. He was nominated for Broadway's 1975 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for The Lieutenant. He performed in Hairspray at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada and in a national tour of Grease with Cindy Williams.

Mr. Mekka was a man of many talents as an actor, dancer and singer. He was very funny and memorable as Carmine Ragusa. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Laverne & Shirley message board. View photos in our galleries.

by Vincent

It's the season to be thankful, and one thing we are all grateful for is having a long weekend off from work to binge watch some TV show episodes. So what are the best sitcom Thanksgiving episodes? The obvious choice is the Friends Thanksgiving episodes, the gold standard of sitcom Thanksgiving. But there are also some other classic Thanksgiving episodes that deserve recognition as well.

New Girl was another "young professionals in a big city" sitcom that did Thanksgiving well, and its Thanksgiving episodes are a funny mix of humor and heart. Community also had a solid Thanksgiving episode - although it took place during the "gas leak" year without creator Dan Harmon, it's still a decent half-hour that introduces us to Jeff's estranged father. Happy Endings also had a very funny Thanksgiving episode that chronicles the gang's past as reality TV stars.

However, if one show stands out above the rest, it's Bob's Burgers. Nearly every Bob's Burgers Thanksgiving episode is an instant classic, with my favorite being the Season 3 Thanksgiving episode "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal," which also featured Linda's unforgettable Thanksgiving song. It's a classic episode, just like all Bob's Burgers Thanksgiving episodes, and I highly recommend it.

Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel are back for a third installment of Live in Front of a Studio Audience! The first two specials aired before the pandemic in spring 2019 and holiday season 2019, but now 2 years later, we are back with another holiday installment! Previous classic Norman Lear sitcoms featured were All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times, now we are heading into the '80s with Lear's The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes! Yes, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes will air Tuesday, Dec. 7 from 8pm to 9:30pm ET, followed by the series premiere of the previously announced new school comedy Abbott Elementary at 9:30pm leading into the fall finale of new drama Queens at 10pm.

Casting details for Diff'rent Strokes includes John Lithgow as Mr. Drummond, Kevin Hart as Arnold, Damon Wayans as Willis and Ann Dowd as Mrs. Garrett, with more to be announced. Casting details for The Facts of Life has not been announced yet but Ann Dowd as Mrs. Garrett will certainly be on both episodes. Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows will executive produce. Details on the episodes being recreated will also be announced soon! More to come!

Dad Stop Embarrassing Me — a new multi-camera Netflix sitcom starring Jamie Foxx as Brian Dixon, inspired by his relationship with daughter Corinne (who produces alongside Foxx and Alex Avant) — will co-star David Alan Grier and Kyla-Drew. Also appearing are Heather Hemmens, Jonathan Kite, Porscha Coleman, and Valente Rodriguez (George Lopez). The sitcom drops April 14 with 8 half-hour episodes only on Netflix. Bentley Kyle Evans (Martin, The Jamie Foxx Show) serves as showrunner. Jamie Foxx of course got his sitcom start on Fox's Roc and in the sketch comedy In Living Color before landing his own sitcom titled The Jamie Foxx Show on The WB. Foxx then went on to become a big movie star. Recently, Foxx appeared as George Jefferson in Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons on ABC in 2019.

Apple revealed a first look at the sophomore season of its hit workplace comedy Mythic Quest, and announced that the new season will make its much anticipated global debut on Friday, May 7, 2021 on Apple TV+. With the quarantine finally over, season two of Mythic Quest finds everyone back in the office (well, almost everyone), attempting to build upon the success of Raven's Banquet by launching an epic new expansion, but Ian (Rob McElhenney) and the newly promoted co-creative director, Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao), struggle with the game's direction. Meanwhile, C.W. (F. Murray Abraham) reconciles some unresolved issues from his past, the testers (Ashly Burch and Imani Hakim) test the bounds of an office romance, and David (David Hornsby) loses yet another woman in his life as Jo (Jessie Ennis) leaves him to assist Brad (Danny Pudi).

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All in the Family’ and ‘Good Times’, the holiday-inspired live event that captivated audiences back in December, is set to rebroadcast on ABC, Tuesday, July 7 (8:00-9:30 p.m. EDT). Produced by Sony Pictures Television, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All in the Family’ and ‘Good Times’ recreates installments of Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin's Emmy® Award-winning series All in the Family and groundbreaking sitcom Good Times, created by Mike Evans, Eric Monte and developed by Lear.

All-star cast members taking on the famed All in the Family roles include Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ellie Kemper and Ike Barinholtz reprising their iconic roles as Archie and Edith Bunker, Gloria Stivic and Meathead, along with Kevin Bacon as Pinkie Peterson, Jesse Eisenberg as David Brewster and Justina Machado as Teresa Bettencourt.

A lineup of all-star talent tackling Good Times roles include Viola Davis and Andre Braugher as Florida Evans and James Evans, Jay Pharoah as J.J Evans, Asante Blackk as Michael Evans, Corinne Foxx as Thelma Evans and Tiffany Haddish as Willona Woods. Jharrel Jerome also stars as Jimmy Pearson, while ABC’s Anthony Anderson and the legendary Patti LaBelle join forces for a show-stopping musical performance.

The December 2019 broadcast of ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All in the Family’ and ‘Good Times’ reached nearly 13 million Total Viewers on linear and digital platforms. In addition, the holiday-inspired live event, produced by Sony Pictures Television, averaged nearly 8 million Total Viewers after 35 days of viewing across all platforms.

Anthony Anderson (black-ish) and Billy Eichner (Difficult People/Friends from College) are set to guest host this week's broadcasts of ABC’s Emmy® Award-winning late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. EDT.

Anderson will guest host Monday and Tuesday. Eichner will handle Wednesday and Thursday. Scheduled guests this week include Anderson's black-ish co-star Tracee Ellis Ross on Monday, D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) on Tuesday, Amy Schumer on Wednesday and Billy Porter on Thursday. Jimmy Kimmel announced last month that he was taking the summer off from the show to spend more time with his family. More guests hosts will be announced. 

After their unforgettable live performances charmed audiences last May, all-star cast members Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ellie Kemper and Ike Barinholtz are set to reprise their iconic All in the Family roles as Archie and Edith Bunker, Gloria Stivic and Meathead in Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family and Good Times, set to return to ABC on Wednesday, Dec. 18 (8:00 p.m. EST). Esteemed cast members joining the All in the Family cast include Kevin Bacon, Jesse Eisenberg and Justina Machado. This holiday-inspired live event produced by Sony Pictures Television will recreate installments of Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin's Emmy(R) Award-winning series All in the Family and groundbreaking sitcom Good Times, created by Mike Evans, Eric Monte and developed by Lear. Talent taking on the iconic roles featured in Good Times will be announced at a later date.

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family and Good Times will be produced by Kimmelot, ACT III Productions, Gary Sanchez Productions, D'Arconville, Simpson Street and Sony Pictures Television. Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows will executive produce, with Pam Fryman and Andy Fisher set to direct the live show.

Curb Your Enthusiasm returns Sunday, Jan. 19 from 10:30-11:07 p.m., exclusively on HBO. Larry David is back - as Larry David - stumbling through one faux-pas after another in an all-new season of the award-winning, hit comedy series. As candid, unsparing and outrageous as ever, Curb Your Enthusiasm revolves around a fictionalized, gleefully misanthropic version of David as a ubiquitous camera chronicles the private, often banal world of this (relatively) public man. The series continues to prove how seemingly trivial details of one's day-to-day life - a cold cup of coffee, a stained shirt, a missing toothbrush - can precipitate a chain of misfortune to hilarious effect. To keep the narrative spontaneous, the series is shot without a script and cast members are given scene outlines and often improvise lines as they go.

Returning series regulars include Emmy(R) nominee Larry David (Seinfeld), Susie Essman (Broad City), Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs), Emmy(R) nominee Cheryl Hines (Suburgatory), Richard Lewis (Anything But Love) and JB Smoove (The Millers).

Live in Front of a Studio Audience, the live broadcast television event that captivated audiences with its all-star cast recreating episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons last spring, is set to return to ABC on Wednesday, Dec. 18, with newly recreated, live installments of Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin's Emmy(R) Award-winning series All in the Family and groundbreaking sitcom Good Times, created by Mike Evans, Eric Monte and developed by Lear. The holiday-inspired live event produced by Sony Pictures Television, will reunite executive producers Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Will Ferrell and Justin Theroux. Kerry Washington, who portrayed Helen Willis of The Jeffersons in the original special in the spring, will join as an executive producer.

ABC's Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons was nominated for three Emmy Awards, and took home the prize for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). The premiere of ABC's Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons on Wednesday, May 22, averaged 14.29 million Total Viewers and a 2.86 rating in Adults 18-49 across all platforms after 35 days of TV playback and reached 23.5 million Total Viewers for its original Wednesday broadcast and two encore airings on Saturday, May 25, and Saturday, Aug. 17. Much more information on the upcoming All in the Family and Good Times special is still to come, including full casting details. What we do know is that the special will air for 90-minutes, live, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, just like the special last spring. And as previously announced, a third Live in Front of a Studio Audience special will air in spring 2020. Perhaps more Norman Lear greats like Maude, One Day at a Time or Sanford & Son?

NBC has ordered four more episodes of its hit comedy Superstore, bringing the the season total to 22 episodes, just like its order the last few seasons. So far in its fifth season, Superstore is averaging a 1.2 rating in adults 18-49 and 3.9 million viewers overall in "live plus seven day" Nielsens. The season premiere has surged to a 2.8 rating in 18-49 and 6.7 million viewers to date when viewing on all platforms is counted, easily tripling the episode's next-day "live plus same day" 0.8 rating in 18-49.

Superstore stars America Ferrera, Ben Feldman, Mark McKinney, Lauren Ash, Colton Dunn, Nico Santos, Nichole Bloom and Kaliko Kauahi. The comedy centers around Amy, who recently was promoted to be the store manager and is the glue holding the place together, and Jonah, a dreamer determined to prove work doesn't have to be boring. Their fellow associates include the sardonic Garrett, the sweet and clueless Cheyenne (Nichole Bloom) and the perpetually dismissed Sandra. Also on the team are Glenn, who stepped down as manager in an attempt to have more family time, and Dina, the aggressive assistant manager who enforces Cloud 9 policy with an iron fist. Mateo was also part of the team, recently as the self-promoted floor supervisor, until being detained due to his undocumented status.

ABC announced a dynamic upcoming lineup from the network's late-night host Jimmy Kimmel at the Television Critics Association event. Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to Brooklyn, New York, for five original shows starting Monday, Oct. 21. The Emmy Award(R)-nominated show will tape in front of a live studio audience from the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Howard Gilman Opera House. Then this winter, Kimmel will once again team up with television icon Norman Lear and executive producers Brent Miller, Will Ferrell and Justin Theroux to provide the next installment of the groundbreaking Live in Front of a Studio Audience with a live holiday special event. A third Live in Front of a Studio Audience special will air spring 2020. ABC's Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons premiered on Wednesday, May 22, with an average audience of 10.4 million viewers and earned a 1.8/9 in Adults 18-49 and reached 22.5 million Total Viewers for its original Wednesday airing and Saturday rebroadcast.

Finally, to round out his robust slate of ABC programming, Kimmel will partner with Emmy(R) Award-winning producer Mark Burnett to executive produce Generation Gap, a new game show coming to ABC. This comedy quiz show groups family members of different generations who must work together to answer questions about each other's generations. This "fun for the whole family" show features a wide variety of pop-culture trivia and challenges, such as asking an 8-year-old to finish the famous catchphrase, "Go ahead. Make my BLANK!" Additional details surrounding production and airdates, as well as a host, to be announced at a later date.

The Goldbergs will once again pay tribute to a hit movie from the 1980s, the iconic 1983 film National Lampoon's Vacation, when the comedy has its seventh season premiere, Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC, it was announced at the 2019 TCA Summer Press Tour. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on ABC.com, the ABC app and Hulu. In the upcoming "Vacation" episode, Beverly insists the family take a road trip to go on vacation to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, before Erica and Barry go off to college. But, like the film, things do not go as planned as they travel across the country. Meanwhile, Erica worries more and more about her relationship with Geoff when he teases "we need to talk" and won't tell her anything until the family returns from their adventure. Anthony Michael Hall and Christie Brinkley will guest star in roles to be announced at a later date. The seventh season stars Wendi McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg, Patton Oswalt as voice of adult Adam Goldberg, Sean Giambrone as Adam Goldberg, Troy Gentile as Barry Goldberg, Hayley Orrantia as Erica Goldberg, Sam Lerner as Geoff Schwartz with George Segal as Pops Solomon and Jeff Garlin as Murray Goldberg.

by Vincent

On Wednesday night, ABC aired its first iteration of Live in Front of a Studio Audience, a Jimmy Kimmel-produced special where a few handful of actors recreated classic episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons. It was a really interesting idea for a TV network, one that honors the network's past and roots (something that we all know TV networks don't always do). The series featured A-List cast members: Marisa Tomei as Edith, Woody Harrelson as Archie, Ike Barinholtz as Archie's son-in-law and Ellie Kemper as Archie's daughter. The Jeffersons featured Wanda Sykes as Louise, Jamie Foxx as George, among others such as Will Ferrell, Kerry Washington, Anthony Anderson and Amber Stevens West. The episodes weren't necessarily perfect - Jamie Foxx flubbed a few lines (and joked about it quickly after), and any fan of these classic sitcoms would surely tell you they didn't hold a candle up to the original. But for a true sitcom fan, this was really a treat.

The ratings for the special were also pretty huge, earning 10.42 million total viewers (and a 1.8 Adults 18-49 rating) in Live+SD performance - ABC's highest Wednesday total viewers audience on the final night of a May sweep in 12 years. This means it performed even better than ABC's smash hit Modern Family did in its prime in total viewers. Live TV events have proven to be a bonafide way to score some ratings points, as in a DVR and streaming-dominated age, it's important for viewers to feel they need to see something live when measuring live ratings. And as much as networks are figuring out how to profit off of streaming numbers, live ratings are still easily the most important figures when determining a show (and network)'s value. So my guess is that we will see another Live in Front of a Studio Audience (take your guesses on which sitcoms will be next!), and perhaps similar events, on other networks. This is a good thing, and it's a way to keep the sitcom tradition alive in the post-streaming world.

Sticking with traditional sitcom news, Netflix has ordered 16 episodes of The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, a new multi-cam comedy series co-created by Mario Lopez and Seth Kurland. In the sitcom, when Ashley Garcia — the world's only 15-and-a-half-year-old robotics engineer and rocket scientist — gets the chance to work for NASA, she moves across the country to live with her fun-loving Uncle Victor, a pro football player turned high school coach who’s never met a responsibility he can't shirk. Starring newcomer Paulina Chavez stars as Ashley and singer and actor Jencarlos Canela (Telenovela, Grand Hotel) stars as Victor. The series will be ran by Seth Kurland (Speechless, Melissa & Joey, Friends). The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia joins Netflix's growing slate of live action series featuring kids and families, which includes No Good Nick from David H. Steinberg and Keetgi Kogan, Alexa & Katie from Heather Wordham (two seasons streaming now, with a third on the way), as well as upcoming series Malibu Rescue from Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas, Family Reunion from Meg DeLoatch, Team Kaylie from Tracy Bitterolf and Pamela Eells O'Connell, and The Baby-Sitters Club from Walden Media and Michael De Luca.