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Hulu Comedy Maggie Gets Premiere Date; Chad Returns July 11 on TBS, While HBO Max Series Get Second Runs on TBS and TNT; Remembering David Birney of Bridget Loves Bernie

Hulu original comedy series Maggie will premiere all episodes on Wednesday, July 6! The Rebecca Rittenhouse series was originally set for ABC, but was moved to Hulu. In the series, dating is hard enough - it’s even harder when you also happen to be a psychic. Maggie's gift allows her to see into the future of her friends, parents, clients, and random people on the street. But when she begins to see glimpses of her own destiny after meeting an unexpected stranger, her romantic life suddenly gets a lot more complicated. Can you let yourself fall in love when you think you know how it ends? She probably should have seen this coming... Series regulars include Rebecca Rittenhouse, David Del Rio, Nichole Sakura, Leonardo Nam, Angelique Cabral, Ray Ford, Chloe Bridges, Kerri Kenney and Chris Elliott. Maggie is written and executive produced by Justin Adler and Maggie Mull. Evan Hayes and Jeff Morton also serve as executive producers. The series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.

TBS and truTV announce July premiere dates for Chad, The Big D and 101 Places to Party Before You Die. In addition, the second seasons of Max Originals Titans and Love Life will air on TBS and TNT respectively as part of Front Row, the networks' premium, limited commercial interruption content destination for select Max Original series and key TBS and TNT content. These titles join the previously announced summer premiere of TNT's Animal Kingdom on June 19 with back-to-back episodes starting at 9:00pm ET/PT.

2021's #1 new scripted cable comedy series, Chad returns on Monday, July 11 at 10:00pm ET/PT (it was previously set to return in April), starring creator, executive producer, and showrunner, Nasim Pedrad (Saturday Night Live, Aladdin). The second season of HBO Max's Love Life will launch on Sunday, July 31 at 10:00pm ET/PT on Front Row on TBS. The second season of HBO Max's Titans will launch on Tuesday, July 5 at 10:00pm ET/PT on Front Row on TNT.

Actor David Birney, who starred as Bernie Steinberg on Bridget Loves Bernie, has died. He died from complications of Alzheimer's disease on April 27 at his home in Santa Monica, California, four days after his 83rd birthday.

Birney starred as Bernie Steinberg on the 1972-1973 CBS sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie. The series depicts an interfaith marriage between an Irish Catholic teacher (Bridget Fitzgerald played by Meredith Baxter) from a wealthy family and a Jewish cab driver who aspires to be a playwright (Bernie Steinberg), whom she had met at a bus stop. It was based loosely on the premise of the 1920s Broadway play and 1940s radio show Abie's Irish Rose. CBS canceled the show after only one season and 24 episodes, despite high ratings. It aired on Saturday nights between All in the Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It finished #5 in the ratings among all shows for the 1972-73 television season and obtained a 24.2 rating, tying The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie. CBS executives canceled the show in response to negative reactions to the characters' marriage. Birney and Baxter married in real life in 1974. The cast included Harold J. Stone, Bibi Osterwald, Audra Lindley, David Doyle, Ned Glass, Robert Sampson, William Elliott and Ivor Barry.

He starred as Frank Serpico, an unorthodox NYPD detective who battles corrupt members of the police force, on the 1976-1977 NBC police drama Serpico. He portrayed Dr. Ben Samuels on the first season of the NBC medical drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 until 1983. He played Sam Dillon, a star reporter at the fictional Glitter magazine, on the 1984-1985 ABC drama Glitter. In 1995, he starred as Harry Chandler Moore ("The Beacon of Truth"), the vain, pompous senior news anchor at KXZX, on the drama Live Shot, which aired on UPN from 1995 to 1996.

He guest starred on four episodes of The Love Boat from 1978 to 1982 and one episode of Love Boat: The Next Wave in 1998.

Some of his television drama guest appearances included The Edge of Night, A World Apart, The F.B.I., Circle of Fear, McMillan & Wife, Police Woman, Bronk, Cannon (2 episodes), Medical Center (2 episodes), The Streets of San Francisco, Police Story (2 episodes), Tales of the Unexpected, Hawaii Five-O (3 episodes), Fantasy Island, Family, The Twilight Zone (1986), Matlock, Murder, She Wrote (4 episodes), Burke's Law, Sliders, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Poltergeist: The Legacy and Without a Trace.

Birney was a classically trained theatre actor who found success on the stage, including on Broadway. He began his career at the prestigious Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, after winning the Barter Theatre Award in 1965. His New York debut was with Joe Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival as Antipholus of Syracuse in William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors. In 1968, he played the lead in Summertree at New York's Lincoln Centre, winning the Clarence Derwent Award and the Theatre World Award.

Survivors include his life partner Michele Roberge and his children with Meredith Baxter, his daughters Kate and Mollie Birney and a son, Peter Baxter; a stepdaughter, Eva Bush, and a stepson, Ted Bush, Ms. Baxter's children from a previous marriage; two grandchildren; and his brothers, Glenn and Gregory. He was married to Meredith Baxter from 1974 until they divorced in 1989.

Mr. Birney was a talented and versatile actor. He was great on Bridget Loves Bernie. The one-year wonder is worth checking out on DVD (read our review). We thank him for the entertainment that he brought us during his career. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Bridget Loves Bernie message board. View photos in our galleries.

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

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Labels: ABC, Bridget Loves Bernie, Chad, HBO Max, Hulu, Love Life, Maggie, Obits, TBS, TNT, truTV

Only Murders in the Building Renewed for Season 2; HBO Max's Love Life New Season Starts Oct. 28

Only Murders in the Building, the hit Hulu Original comedy series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez has been picked up for a second season. Only Murders in the Building debuted as the most-watched Hulu Original comedy on premiere day and also the most-watched comedy on premiere day across all SVOD titles ever on the platform.

From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman comes a comedic murder-mystery series for the ages. Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late. Only Murders in the Building hails from co-creators and writers Steve Martin and John Hoffman (Grace & Frankie, Looking). Martin and Hoffman executive produce along with Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Jamie Babbitt, This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal. A new episode dropped yesterday in which Mabel slips away on a solo mission tracking the victim’s final days. Suspicious, Charles and Oliver follow her. Only Murders in the Building is the latest series to join Hulu's acclaimed slate of original comedies including such award-winning series such as Ramy, Pen15, Shrill and The Great, among others.

Season two of the Max Original romantic comedy anthology series Love Life, debuting with three episodes on Thursday, October 28, focuses on Marcus Watkins (Emmy® nominee and executive producer William Jackson Harper) as he comes out of a years-long relationship with the woman he thought was going to be his person. After the rug is pulled out from under him, he is plunged back into the search for the romantic fulfillment that he thought he had already found. The ten-episode season continues with three episodes on November 4 and concludes with four episodes on November 11. In addition to Harper, season two also stars series regulars Jessica Williams, Punkie Johnson and Chris “Comedian CP” Powell; recurring guest stars Arian Moayed, Leslie Bibb and John Earl Jelks; and guest stars Maya Kazan, Ego Nwodim, Kimberly Elise, Blair Underwood, Janet Hubert, Jordan Rock and Steven Boyer. Keith David narrates. Season one's Anna Kendrick, who also executive produces, Zoë Chao, Peter Vack, Sasha Compére and Nick Thune will appear in season two.

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

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Labels: HBO Max, Hulu, Love Life, Only Murders in the Building

Superstar: John Ritter Airs Wednesday (Aug. 25) on ABC; Two HBO Max Comedies Add More Cast Members

The latest installment (episode three) of ABC News' new series Superstar journeys through the life and career of comedic genius John Ritter. The program chronicles how Ritter became a top comedy icon of the 1970s, how he landed his starring role on the ABC hit Three's Company, and how he found success as an actor outside of comedy. The television event also dives into his personal life and sudden and tragic death at just 54 years old that stunned the world. Superstar: John Ritter has new interviews with his son, Jason Ritter, and his first wife, Nancy Ritter, who open up about their memories of him and his legacy. The program includes interviews with top actors who worked with and were influenced by Ritter, including Three's Company co-star Suzanne Somers, Bryan Cranston, Jimmy Kimmel, Kaley Cuoco, Henry Winkler and Raven-Symoné. Superstar: John Ritter also features footage from the ABC News archives, including Ritter's interview with ABC News' Barbara Walters, never-before-seen family videos as well as an interview with Ritter's wife Amy Yasbeck, on her efforts to raise awareness for the aortic disease Ritter passed away from. Superstar: John Ritter airs Wednesday, Aug. 25 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. It can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu. Superstar is produced by ABC News. David Sloan is senior executive producer. Muriel Pearson is executive producer. The first two episodes focused on Whitney Houson and Kobe Bryant. Next Wednesday (Sept. 1) will focus on Richard Pryor. Future episodes include a look at Robin Williams. Video preview of Superstar: John Ritter.

The Max Original comedy series Our Flag Means Death has added Fred Armisen and Samba Schutte to the cast. Our Flag Means Death is loosely based on the true adventures of Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), a pampered aristocrat who abandoned his life of privilege to become a pirate. Previously announced cast: The series also stars Academy Award(R) winner Taika Waititi as "Blackbeard," history's most feared and revered pirate. The ensemble cast includes Ewen Bremner, David Fane, Nat Faxon, Nathan Foad, Joel Fry, Leslie Jones, Samson Kayo, Guz Khan, Rory Kinnear, Matt Maher, Kristian Nairn, Con O'Neill and Vico Ortiz.

Meanwhile, Keith David has been cast as the narrator for season two of the Max Original Love Life, a romantic comedy anthology series from Lionsgate Television and Feigco Entertainment. Season two focuses on "Marcus Watkins" (Emmy(R) nominee and executive producer William Jackson Harper) as he comes out of a years-long relationship with the woman he thought was going to be his person. The rug pulled out from under him, he is plunged back into the search for the romantic fulfillment that he thought he had already found. The new season is currently in production in New York. Previously announced cast members: Series regulars William Jackson Harper, Jessica Williams, Punkie Johnson and Chris "Comedian CP" Powell; recurring guest stars Arian Moayed, Leslie Bibb and John Earl Jelks; and guest stars Maya Kazan, Ego Nwodim, Kimberly Elise, Blair Underwood, Janet Hubert and Jordan Rock. Season one's Anna Kendrick, who also executive produces, Zoë Chao, Peter Vack, Sasha Compére and Nick Thune will appear in season two.

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

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Labels: 20/20, ABC, HBO Max, John Ritter, Love Life, Our Flag Means Death, Three's Company

HBO Max's Love Life Season 2 Announces Cast; Kevin Hart and Jason Biggs Host Back-to-Back Shows on E!

Season two of the Max Original Love Life, a romantic comedy anthology series from Lionsgate Television and Feigco Entertainment, focuses on "Marcus Watkins" (Emmy(R) nominee and executive producer (William Jackson Harper) as he comes out of a years-long relationship with the woman he thought was going to be his person. The rug pulled out from under him, he is plunged back into the search for the romantic fulfillment that he thought he had already found. The new season is currently in production in New York.

Newly Announced Series Regular:
Punkie Johnson (Saturday Night Live, Space Force) as "Ida Watkins," Marcus's outspoken sister who is much more in tune with her authentic self than her brother is. Ida will say anything to anyone, often to hilarious effect.

Newly Announced Recurring Guest Stars:
Leslie Bibb (Jupiter's Legacy, Iron Man, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby) as "Becca Evans," a twice-divorced mother of two with whom Marcus enters into a purely sexual relationship, but like any such relationship, it soon becomes more complicated than that.
John Earl Jelks (On Becoming a God in Central Florida, True Detective, Night Comes On) as "Kirby Watkins," Marcus's affable yet formidable father, who casts a large shadow over his son. As adults, the two will finally grow closer and learn to connect.
Arian Moayed (Succession, Inventing Anna, Accidental Wolf) as "Kian Parsa," one of Marcus's best friends, a tech millionaire who recently sold his company. But even though he's rich now, and sometimes kind of a douche, Kian is still the same sweet, lovable guy Marcus has known forever.

Newly Announced Guest Stars:
Kimberly Elise (Mosquito Coast, Ad Astra, The Manchurian Candidate) as "Suzanné Hayward," Mia's (Jessica Williams) eccentric and often irresponsible mother. She has always leaned on her daughter, forcing Mia to grow up fast and learn how to keep things on the rails.
Ego Nwodim (Saturday Night Live, Brockmire, Shrill) as "Ola Adebayo," a beautiful playwright who seems perfect on paper to Marcus. But the two get so serious so fast that both of them are forced to confront how right they really are for each other.
Blair Underwood (When They See Us, Dear White People, In Treatment) as "Leon Hines," Mia's debonair yet often absent father, and their relationship, or lack thereof, has fundamentally shaped Mia's romantic life as an adult.

Previously announced cast members include: William Jackson Harper, Jessica Williams, Chris "Comedian CP" Powell, Janet Hubert, Jordan Rock and Maya Kazan. Season one's Anna Kendrick, who also executive produces, Zoë Chao, Peter Vack, Sasha Compére and Nick Thune will appear in season two.

E! invites viewers to a fun, entertaining game night filled with competitive challenges, trivia and laugh-out-loud moments beginning Tuesday, August 31. Kicking off the night at 10pm ET/PT is the season two return of Celebrity Game Face executive produced and hosted by Kevin Hart and HartBeat Productions. Then, at 11pm ET/PT, the series premiere of Jason Biggs' Cash At Your Door executive produced and hosted by Jason Biggs, where he surprises unsuspecting families for a chance to win a major cash prize from the comfort of their own living room.

Celebrity Game Face returns with new celebrity contestants and crazier games, as they go head-to-head with the hopes of winning the "Hart of Champion" trophy and awarded money for their charity of choice. Celebrity pairings this season include: Aasif Mandvi & Shaifali Puri, Chrissy Metz & Bradely Collins, D'Arcy & Jason Carden, Desus & Mero, Fortune Feimster & Jax, Gronk & Camille, Jason Biggs & Jenny Mollen, Kenan Thompson & Chris Redd, Ludacris & Eudoxie, Nelly & Shantel Jackson, Susan Kelechi Watson & Napiera Groves, T-Pain & Vanessa Fraction and more!

From the producers of the hit format Cash Cab (Lion Television USA), actor and comedian Jason Biggs is the host of the new game show, Jason Biggs' Cash At Your Door, where Biggs unexpectedly shows up at the front door of everyday people who believe they're on a show highlighting their homes. Instead, families will be put to the test and work together through three rounds of wide-ranging trivia, for a chance to win $25,000. With the help of a few celebrity guests including former baseball great CC Sabathia, and Bravo stars Dolores Catania and Ryan Serhant, Biggs will make sure his knock is worth answering!

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

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Labels: E!, HBO Max, Love Life

Fri-Yay: Rick and Morty Season 4; HBO Max Orders 2nd Season of Love Life

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

As we enter the summer months, sitcoms on TV are increasingly rare to find, and more so now than we're entering a COVID age. So I thought I'd spend this column talking about Rick and Morty, an animated comedy that technically doesn't fit the sitcom bill, but is still one of the most popular comedic shows on TV today. Rick and Morty is Adult Swim's flagship series, a time travel, sci-fi sitcom from the minds of Justin Roiland and Community creator Dan Harmon. The series quickly grew to extreme popularity, with it becoming Adult Swim's highest-rated series of all time by its third season. And yet, the show has only produced 4 seasons and 40 episodes since being on the air in 2014, a slow rollout schedule that has somewhat complicated its' fans fervent relationship with it. Granted, TV is gradually moving towards more sporadic releases rather than the clockwork-like scheduling it adhered to for years, but this seems like a lot even for that.

Rick and Morty's fourth season was split up into two 5-episode short seasons, one airing in late 2019 and one starting in May, just finishing last week. The season overall was very solid, with some highlight episodes that could stand up with the best of the series, as well as some disappointing episodes - fairly standard for a comedy in its fourth season. But given the sporadic release schedule and how every episode now feels like an event, getting a "regular old" season feels a bit disappointing. And the show seems to be starting to recycle some of the same patterns (Rick is a jerk, kind of learns that he shouldn't be, then goes back to being a jerk again). This season also moved away from the long-term storytelling that marked much of its second and third seasons. Still, for all of these flaws, Rick and Morty remained one of the funniest and move inventive comedies, even if it's not quite as perfect as it was at the start, and still made me wish and hope we can start getting episodes on a more consistent basis.

HBO Max announced that it has picked up its first scripted original series Love Life for a second season. Audiences love Love Life, the romantic comedy anthology series from Lionsgate Television that has quickly become one of the streaming platform's top performers out of all available content, and this is the first Max Original to earn a renewal. Season one stars Oscar® nominee Anna Kendrick, and its final four episodes are now available to stream on HBO Max. Season two will remain set in New York City but will focus on a new character’s journey – one which explores what happens when you've lived your whole life knowing who your soulmate is, only to find out years into a marriage that it's not the right fit at all. The new season will also cleverly key off characters in season one, and "Darby" (Anna Kendrick) will appear occasionally.

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

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Labels: Adult Swim, HBO Max, Love Life, Rick & Morty

HBO Max Comedy Starts Strong; Alexa & Katie Returns in June for Final Episodes

On the heels of its launch last week and the strong positive audience response to its first scripted original series Love Life, starring Oscar(R) nominee Anna Kendrick, HBO Max announced that the streaming platform is accelerating the release of the show's remaining episodes to give fans more of what they're watching. On Thursday, June 4, episodes 4, 5 and 6 will be available to binge on HBO Max, and on Thursday, June 11, the final four episodes of the first season will be added. Originally, the streamer had planned to release one new episode a week following its premiere with the first three episodes.

Love Life, a fresh take on a romantic comedy anthology series, features "an Emmy-worthy turn from Kendrick" (Decider, Joel Keller) and "should be the first thing you watch on the new streaming platform" (Glamour, Anna Moeslein). It has "a sharpness and a depth" (Vanity Fair, Richard Lawson), "the writing is sharp" (Uproxx, Kimberly Ricci), and star "Zoë Chao is a standout" (Entertainment Weekly, Kristen Baldwin).




All grown up. The final season of Alexa & Katie arrives June 13, only on Netflix! The multi-cam sitcom is back for the back-half 8 episodes of its third season of 16 total episodes. The series follows two lifelong best friends on their journey as they face not only the challenges of high school but also the lingering complexities of Alexa's battle with cancer. The comedy follows Paris Berelc (Alexa) and Isabel May (Katie) through their junior and senior years of high school as they learn that together, they can get through anything. Tiffani Thiessen, Eddie Shin, Jolie Jenkins, Emery Kelly, Finn Carr and Jack Griffo also star in the sitcom. The third season of Alexa & Katie will concludes featuring eight episodes to mark the end of the series as well. 

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

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Labels: Alexa & Katie, HBO Max, Love Life, Netflix