SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

SitcomsOnline Digest: Netflix Gives Pilot Order to A Different World Sequel; Malcolm in the Middle Reboot Recasts Role of Dewey

  Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week is mostly about reboots. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Netflix has given a pilot order to a sequel to A Different World, which given how Netflix typically orders shows straight to series, is an unusual thing. (Variety)
• We've been talking about the Malcolm in the Middle reboot for some time, and now we're learning that the role of Dewey will be recast. (Variety)
• Even though it will have ultimately been 17 seasons from the beginning of Roseanne to the end of The Conners, Laurie Metcalf doesn't think that much time has been enough time to wrap up the storylines on the series. (Deadline)
• Is it time for a reboot of The Critic? Jon Lovitz thinks so. (Deadline)
• Adult Swim has renewed Common Side Effects for a second season. (Hollywood Reporter)
• It seems that broadcast daytime TV has mostly become court shows lately, and now the Amazon Prime series Tribunal Justice will be joining those lineups this fall, with clearance in 95% of the US. (Deadline)
• Even though it was previously renewed for a third season, After Midnight on CBS will be ending this summer, and CBS has decided that they will no longer air new programming in the 12:30 AM hour. (Hollywood Reporter)
• We're getting closer and closer to Pat Sajak's "final spin" on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (MARCH 29 - APRIL 4)

• Tomorrow's binge on Catchy Comedy is Mama's Family.
• The first ten episodes of the Hulu series Mid-Century Modern are now available to stream.
• The Simpsons took a short hiatus on Fox so that Family Guy could have some time at 8 PM, but it returns tomorrow night (and Family Guy moves to 8:30).

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

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Labels: A Different World, After Midnight, Common Side Effects, Malcolm in the Middle, Mama's Family, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Conners, The Critic

SitcomsOnline Digest: Two New Sitcoms in the Works at CBS; The CW Adds Bob ♥ Abishola to Lineup

 Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing about some new CBS sitcoms (from producers of those who've already proven to be successful with CBS sitcoms), a "new" old show coming to The CW, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Overstepping, a new comedy from Damon Wayans Jr., is in the works at CBS. (Deadline)
• CBS also has another comedy, Token White Friends, in the works. (Deadline)
• The CW is barely recognizable from their past of teen dramas and Warner Bros superhero series, and that continues as they're now adding reruns of Bob ♥ Abishola to their lineup. (TV Series Finale)
• Quincy Jones, who is better known for his music career but also has TV production credits for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In the House, and Mad TV, and also the father of Rashida Jones, has died. (Variety)
• We have our first look at the final season of Stranger Things. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (NOVEMBER 9 - NOVEMBER 15)

• St. Denis Medical premieres Tuesday on NBC.
• Catchy Comedy has a binge of Mama's Family this weekend.
• The final season of Yellowstone arrives Sunday on Paramount Network.

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

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Labels: Bob ♥ Abishola, Mama's Family, Overstepping, SitcomsOnline Digest, St. Denis Medical, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Token White Friends

SitcomsOnline Digest: Pluto TV Adds More Channels Including Universal Action; CBS Renews Young and the Restless for Four More Years

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We are in a slow fall news week, but we have news about some new Pluto TV channels, a long-term renewal of one of the last broadcast network soap operas, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• The most recent additions don't do much for sitcom fans, but Pluto TV is growing with even more channels yet again (though they did add Universal Action earlier this week as well, featuring some of our favorite 80s action dramas). (Cord Cutters News)
• The Young and the Restless has been renewed for four more seasons at CBS, keeping the nearly dead soap opera industry alive for at least a bit longer. (Variety)
• Cable TV rarely has events that really grab viewers anymore, but Where is Wendy Williams? was a success for Lifetime. (Deadline)
• Actor Richard Lewis has died at age 76. (AP News)
• BUZZR is celebrating women's history month. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (MARCH 2 - MARCH 8)

• Catchy Comedy has a binge of Mama's Family this weekend, with a focus on the syndicated seasons.
• Animal Control returns for a new season, while Family Guy moves to a new night (you may be getting deja vu from when the series originally got canceled after leaving Sunday nights), on Wednesday night on Fox.

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

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Labels: BUZZR, Mama's Family, Pluto TV, SitcomsOnline Digest, Young and the Restless

Fox M*A*S*H Special on January 1; MeTV Lasts on the Last Marathon

In the all-new two-hour special, M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, premiering Monday, January 1 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox, join the men and women who made M*A*S*H as they celebrate one of the most beloved, enduringly popular, often quoted and influential comedies ever created. As the definitive look at the 14-time Emmy-winning television classic, the special centers around new interviews with original cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly), William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. "Max" Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), Wayne Rogers (Capt. "Trapper" John McIntyre) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan) and series executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe. In these intimate, highly personal remembrances, the creation and evolution of the show's iconic characters are revealed, alongside rare and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos and stories.

Writer/producer Larry Gelbart, as well as additional series stars Larry Linville (Maj. Frank Burns), Harry Morgan (Col. Sherman T. Potter), McLean Stevenson (Lt. Col. Henry Blake) and David Ogden Stiers (Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III) are remembered through a vibrant collection of clips from the series as well as in rarely-seen archival interviews. With unique experiences, observations and memories from 11 seasons of M*A*S*H, this special will make audiences laugh, touch their heartstrings, and leave them on a nostalgic high while celebrating the sustained brilliance of the iconic sitcom.

The M*A*S*H two-and-a-half-hour series finale that first aired on CBS in 1983 remains the highest rated telecast in television history, delivering an incredible 77 audience share and 60.2 rating. To-date, the show has never left the air, continuously running in syndication, on basic cable and now streaming on Hulu. The series was produced by 20th Television. M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television is directed by John Scheinfeld (Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback, The U.S. vs. John Lennon and What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears?) with Scheinfeld and Andy Kaplan as Executive Producers. Viewers can watch M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television next day on Hulu, Fox.com, On Demand and FOX Entertainment's streaming platform, Tubi. On Demand is available for customers of Cox Contour TV, DIRECTV, DISH, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Optimum, Spectrum, Verizon FiOS, XFINITY, YouTube TV and many more.

MeTV bids a fond farewell to 2023 with The Lasts on the Last, an afternoon celebration of finale and final season episodes from memorable classic TV shows including The Andy Griffith Show, The Brady Bunch, Gilligan's Island, Mama's Family, The Love Boat, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Leave it to Beaver! See how these beloved stories concluded on Sunday, December 31 starting at 12P | 11C on MeTV and running through 6:30P.

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

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Labels: Andy Griffith Show, Brady Bunch, Fox, Gilligan's Island, Leave it to Beaver, M*A*S*H, Mama's Family, MeTV, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Love Boat

MeTV's Back to School with Me Stunt; Remembering Johnny Hardwick and Shelley Smith

Go "Back to School with Me" with special academic episodes Sunday, August 27! Bid goodbye to carefree summer days with a full day of shows featuring classrooms, sports, tests and teachers! Grab your pencils and pack your lunch for this full day event reliving all the fun of the going back to school, from first class to graduation. And don’t forget your homework! Make the end of summer a little easier with a full day of episodes about learning, teachers, sports and all things back-to-school on MeTV. It all starts Sunday, August 27 at 9A | 8C!

9A | 8C: Saved By The Bell: "The Last Weekend" — It's the last day at the beach resort and Zack and Stacy are hoping to spend it together. Carosi, however, doesn't approve of their romance. Meanwhile, a secret admirer is sending Slater love letters.
9:30A | 8:30C: Saved By The Bell: "The Fight" — Zach and Slater might turn back into rivals when they fall for a new girl from Idaho. Who'll be the one to have a date with her?
10A | 9C: The Flintstones: "Flintstone of Prinstone" — Fred attends night classes and is drafted to be a quarterback on the school football team.
10:30A | 9:30C: The Flintstones: "The Bowling Ballet" —Fred secretly becomes a ballet pupil in order to regain his form for a big bowling match
11A | 10C:The Flintstones: "High School Fred" — Wilma thinks Fred is about to be promoted when Mr. Slate sends Fred to school for two weeks.
11:30A | 10:30C: The Jetsons: "Elroy's Mob" — Elroy brings home the wrong report card by mistake, angering his father, which causes Elroy to run away with Astro.
12P | 11C: The Brady Bunch: "Today, I am a Freshman" —It's the beginning of another school year, and Marcia panics about becoming a freshman, going as far as pretending to be sick. However, after Mike and Carol see through her act, they insist she'd enjoy school if she were involved in extracurricular activities. Marcia then proceeds to join every group or club available. Meanwhile, Peter tries to build a model volcano on the patio.
12:30P | 11:30C: The Brady Bunch: "Getting Greg's Goat" — After he and his teammates swipe a rival school's mascot in retaliation for theirs being stolen first, Greg is tasked with watching Raquel, a goat. Things get out of control when Raquel proves to be hard to handle, easy to feed and not easy to catch.
1P | 12C: Leave It to Beaver: "Wally's Test" — An upcoming test in history, Wally's weakest subject, has Wally studying all weekend and has Larry and Eddie coming up with a plan that will give them good grades on the test.
1:30P | 12:30C: Leave It to Beaver: "Beaver's I.Q." — After learning that he's going to be taking an I.Q. test, Beaver hits the books, scared after his friends tell him that if he doesn't pass he will be sent to "dumb school."
2P | 1C: The Beverly Hillbillies: "Jethro Goes to School" — Jethro announces that Pearl has sent the family a letter. In this letter, Pearl says how she hopes her son is doing well in school. Jed realizes that Jethro should be in the fifth grade and tells him they have to find a school that day. While driving around Beverly Hills, they stop at the first school they see, Mrs. Potts’ exclusive private school.
2:30P | 1:30C: The Beverly Hillbillies: "Jethro's Graduation" — Jethro is very excited about graduating from the sixth grade. But in order to prevent embarrassment, Mrs. Potts gets help from Drysdale and Diana to get Jethro to miss his sixth grade graduation. She schemes to turn Jed and Jethro’s watches back 45 minutes.
3P | 2C: Gilligan's Island: "The Friendly Physician" — A mad scientist lands on the island and takes the castaways to his castle to perform strange experiments on them. Soon they are locked in a dungeon and trapped in the wrong bodies.
3:30P | 2:30C: Gilligan's Island: "A Man With a Net" — Lord Beasley Waterford, a famous butterfly collector, lands on the island searching for the world's rarest butterfly, the pussycat swallowtail. 4P | 3C: Mama's Family: "Mama Learns to Drive" — Fed up with having to chauffeur Mama all over town, the family decides to teach her to drive. But when Mama finally gets her license, the family is too afraid to let her use their cars!
4:30P | 3:30C: Mama's Family: "Educating Mama" — When Bubba enrolls in night school, the family convinces Mama to join him and earn her high school equivalency diploma.
5P | 4C: The Love Boat: "Isaac's Teacher" — Isaac hides from his high-school teacher; a man tries to please his seal; a wife who thinks she's dying wants to choose her successor.
6P | 5C: The Andy Griffith Show: "The Education of Ernest T. Bass" — Ernest T. is back in Mayberry to get his diploma. He is so determined that Andy convinces Helen to allow him to attend class, but Ernest T. isn't exactly classroom material.

Voice actor, comedian, writer and producer Johnny Hardwick, who was best known as the voice of Dale Gribble on King of the Hill, has died. He was found dead at his home Austin, Texas, on August 8. Mr. Hardwick was 64.

Hardwick provided the voice of Dale Gribble on the Fox animated sitcom King of the Hill. The 1997-2010 series centers on the Hills, an American family in the fictional city of Arlen, Texas, as well as their neighbors, co-workers, relatives, classmates, friends, and acquaintances. Dale Gribble is the Hills' chain-smoking, balding, conspiracy-theorist next-door neighbor and Hank's (Mike Judge) best friend. As a result of his paranoia, Dale does not trust the government or "the system". He owns his own pest control business, Dale's Dead Bug, and is also a licensed bounty hunter and President of the Arlen Gun Club. Dale is married to Nancy Hicks-Gribble (Ashley Gardner), a weather reporter and later an anchorwoman for the Channel 84 news. The cast also included Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Brittany Murphy (1997-2009), Stephen Root, Toby Huss, Jonathan Joss, Lauren Tom, Breckin Meyer, and Tom Petty.

At the time of his death, he was set to reprise the role again in the upcoming revival. It was later revealed that he had recorded "a couple" of new episodes for the revival prior to his death.

He was also its staff writer, story editor and producer from 1997 to 2002. He had three Prime Time Emmy Award nominations, and in 1999 he won an Emmy for producing King of the Hill.

Mr. Hardwick did a great job performing the memorable role of Dale Gribble. We thank him for his work on King of the Hill. He will be greatly missed.

Fashion model and actress Shelley Smith, who starred as Sara James on The Associates, has died. She suffered a cardiac arrest on August 5. She died at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles, California, on August 8. Ms. Smith was 70.

Smith starred as Sara James on the 1979-1980 ABC sitcom The Associates. The series, which was based on the novel of the same name by John Jay Osborn Jr., was the first bonafide starring vehicle for Martin Short and centered on a small group of young novice lawyers who worked at a Wall Street law firm. It was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. The cast included Wilfrid Hyde-White, Joe Regalbuto, Alley Mills, and Tim Thomerson.

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The Stockard Channing Show, Angie, The Love Boat (2 episodes), Diff'rent Strokes, and Webster.

She starred as Capt. Carolyn Engel on the 1983-1984 NBC military drama For Love and Honor. Some of her other television guest appearances included Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, The Phoenix, Hart to Hart (2 episodes), Fantasy Island, Hotel, Lady Blue, The New Mike Hammer, Hunter, Magnum, P.I. (2 episodes), Simon & Simon (4 episodes), Dragnet (1989), and Murder, She Wrote (2 episodes).

Ms. Smith was a talented and lovely actress. The Associates had a great cast and was critically acclaimed, but it never found a big audience airing against One Day at a Time. It's too bad ABC didn't give it more of a chance in another time slot. We thank her for work on television. She will be deeply missed.

We also remember actor Nicolas Coster. He had a recurring role as David Warner, the father of Blair Warner, on The Facts of Life. He died on June 26 at a hospital in Florida. Mr. Coster was 89.

Coster had a recurring role as David Warner, Blair Warner's (Lisa Whelchel) father, in five episodes of The Facts of Life from 1982 to 1988. His ex-wife, Monica Warner, was played by Marj Dusay in eight episodes from 1981 to 1987.

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included No Time for Sergeants, Wendy and Me, Occasional Wife, On Our Own (1978), Husbands, Wives & Lovers (1978), Grandpa Goes to Washington, One Day at a Time, When the Whistle Blows, Police Squad!, Teachers Only (2 episodes), 9 to 5 (3 episodes), Hooperman, Who's the Boss?, Nurses, Coach, 3rd Rock from the Sun (2 episodes), and Crumbs.

Coster starred as Robert Delaney on Another World from 1970 to 1980. He played Anthony Makana in five episodes of One Life to Live. He starred as Lionel Lockridge on Santa Barbara from 1984 to 1993. The role earned him four Daytime Emmy nominations. He starred as Mayor Jack Madison on the digital soap The Bay from 2010 to 2019. The role won him his first Daytime Emmy in 2017. He also worked as a producer from 2010 to 2014.

He played John Eldridge in the 1965 CBS primetime serialized drama Our Private World. He starred as Chief J.E. Carson on The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (also known as Lobo). In 1983, he starred as Dr. Morris Whitford on the short-lived ABC medical drama Ryan's Four.

Some of his other television guest appearances included The Defenders, The Green Hornet, Charlie's Angels, Little House on the Prairie, Baretta, Family, The Rockford Files, Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Dallas (3 episodes), Hart to Hart, Quincy, M.E. (1982), Simon & Simon (3 episodes), Magnum, P.I. (1983), Hardcastle and McCormick, T.J. Hooker, Knight Rider (1983), L.A. Law, thirtysomething (1989), Murder, She Wrote (1989), Life Goes On, Star Trek: The Next Generation, MacGyver, Matlock, Law & Order (2 episodes), and Cold Case.

Mr. Coster was a fine character actor. He was a familiar face on many television shows during his long career. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment that he brought us on television. He will be sorely missed.

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

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Labels: Andy Griffith Show, Gilligan's Island, King of the Hill, Leave it to Beaver, Mama's Family, ME-TV, Obits, Saved by the Bell, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Brady Bunch, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, The Love Boat

BUZZR's Classic TV Moms Week; Fox's Stars on Mars Celebs Announced

BUZZR celebrates Mother's Day with "TV Moms Week!" BUZZR observes Mother's Day all week long with game shows featuring classic television moms. A mother's love is unconditional... just like BUZZR's love for game shows! So, we have put those two loves together to create an entire week of programming featuring beloved television mothers playing on some of the classic shows! Actresses such as Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy), Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch), Isabel Sanford (The Jeffersons), Marion Ross (Happy Days), and Vicki Lawrence & Carol Burnett (Mama's Family) guest star on vintage episodes of Family Feud, Password Plus, Tattletales, and more! BUZZR's "TV Moms Week" airs Monday, 5/8 through Saturday, 5/13 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm ET with a marathon on Sunday, 5/14 from 11:00am – 11:00pm ET.

Fox announces the 12 fearless celebrities who will pack their bags and prepare for launch to the red planet as crew members on Stars on Mars, an out-of-this-world new unscripted series, premiering Monday, June 5 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox. This summer, professional athletes, reality world megastars, triumphant entrepreneurs, renowned television and film actors, uproarious comedians and trailblazing entertainers will colonize, compete and conquer "Mars" until there is one victorious space invader, who will claim the title of "the brightest star in the galaxy." Celebrities will ditch their jerseys, business suits and red carpet gowns for the ultimate attire - an astronaut suit. Once on "Mars," this group of stars will receive interstellar assignments from legendary actor and Star Trek icon William Shatner, who serves as Mission Control. Colonizing Mars could be our future... let's send them first! Meet the 12 crewmates joining Stars on Mars:

· Former Professional Road-Racing Cyclist and Investor Lance Armstrong
· Comedian, Actress and Writer Natasha Leggero (Another Period)
· Former Super Bowl Champion, Community Advocate and Entrepreneur Marshawn Lynch
· Widely known Comedic Actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse
· Olympic Figure Skater and TV Personality Adam Rippon
· Professional Wrestler and UFC champion, Olympic Medalist and Actress Ronda Rousey
· Television Personality and Restaurateur Tom Schwartz
· Sports Analyst and Professional Football Player Richard Sherman
· Multi-Platinum-Certified POP & R&B Disruptor, Singer, Songwriter and Dancer Tinashe
· Television Personality, Actress and Author Porsha Williams Guobadia
· Entrepreneur and Artist Tallulah Willis
· SAG Award-Winning Actress and Producer Ariel Winter (Modern Family)

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

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Labels: Another Period, Brady Bunch, BUZZR, Family Feud, Fox, Happy Days, I Love Lucy, Mama's Family, Modern Family, Password, Stars on Mars, Tattletales, The Jeffersons

SAG Nominations Live on Instagram Live; Remembering Earl Boen of It's a Living and Adam Rich of Eight Is Enough

Haley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus) and Ashley Park (Emily in Paris) will announce the nominees for the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® on Wednesday, January 11 on Instagram Live. The nominations will be announced exclusively via Instagram Live on @sagawards beginning at 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT. SAG Awards Nominations will kick off at 9:50 a.m. ET / 6:50 a.m. PT on @sagawards' Instagram Stories with an introduction by SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher (The Nanny). Nominations for the Outstanding Action Performances by Television and Film ensembles will follow, with announcements made by SAG Awards Committee members Jason George (Station 19) and Elizabeth McLaughlin (Hand of God).

This marks the third year that SAG Awards nominations will be presented exclusively via Instagram Live. The SAG Awards aims to utilize the innovation of social media channels to create an authentic connection with their audience by reimagining the Nominations Announcement as a seamless, virtual experience for both nominees and fans. The 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023 at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Actor Earl Boen, who starred as Dennis Hubner on It's a Living and played Reverend Lloyd Meechum on Mama's Family, has died. He died from lung cancer in Hawaii on January 5. Mr. Boen was 81.

Boen starred as Dennis Hubner in 14 episodes of the second season (1981-1982) of the ABC sitcom It's a Living. The series was renamed Making a Living for the second season. It later aired in first-run syndication from 1985-1989. The kitchen at the posh restaurant Above the Top is first the domain of Chef Mario (Bert Remsen), then Dennis Hubner (Earl Boen), and finally Howard Miller (Richard Stahl), who eventually marries Nancy (Marian Mercer). The second season cast included Marian Mercer, Gail Edwards, Ann Jillian, Barrie Youngfellow, Paul Kreppel and Louise Lasser.

He played Reverend Lloyd Meechum, the Harper family's pastor, in four episodes of Mama's Family from 1983-1987. He also appeared as a clergyman in episodes of Three's Company, The Golden Girls (2 episodes), Boy Meets World, Seinfeld, The Wonder Years and The Golden Palace. He played Jim Peterson, Angela Bower's (Judith Light) boss, in five episodes of Who's the Boss? from 1984-1986. He had a recurring role as Dr. Kramer in four episodes of Get a Life from 1990-1991.

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included What's Happening!!, The Jeffersons, Angie, Soap, M*A*S*H, Barney Miller, Too Close for Comfort, Madame's Place, Benson (2 episodes), Night Court, Family Ties (2 episodes), Newhart (2 episodes), Growing Pains, Silver Spoons (2 episodes), 1st & Ten (2 episodes), Punky Brewster (2 episodes), What's Happening Now!, ALF, Mr. President,Webster (3 episodes), 227 (2 episodes), Sydney, Amen (2 episodes), Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Empty Nest (2 episodes) and California Dreams (4 episodes).

Boen starred as Howard on the 1987-1988 CBS mystery crime drama The Law & Harry McGraw. He had a recurring role as Judge Walter L. Swanson in eight episodes of L.A. Law from 1988-1993.

Some of his drama guest appearances included The Streets of San Francisco, Kojak, Hawaii Five-O, Wonder Woman (2 episodes), Police Woman, Eight Is Enough, Lou Grant, The Paper Chase, Barnaby Jones, The Dukes of Hazzard, Code Red, The Powers of Matthew Star, Voyagers!, Fantasy Island (1983), St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, Crime Story, Hotel, Dallas, Matlock (2 episodes) and Family Law (2 episodes).

Boen was also very active in the voice-over field. He was known for voicing characters such as Mr. Bleakman in Clifford the Big Red Dog, Police Chief Kanifky in Bonkers, the narrator and King Terenas Menethil II in World of Warcraft, Señor Senior, Senior in Kim Possible and LeChuck in the Monkey Island series.

He was best known as criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019, archive footage only). Some of his other film credits included The Main Event (1979), Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), 9 to 5 (1980), Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. (1981), The Man with Two Brains (1983), To Be or Not to Be (1983), Alien Nation (1988), Marked for Death (1990), Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994) and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000).

Mr. Boen was a talented and versatile character actor. He was a familiar face on many sitcoms. He retired from screen acting in 2003, but continued his work as a voice actor in radio, television cartoons and video games until 2017. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on It's a Living message board. View photos in our galleries.

Actor Adam Rich, who was best known for his role as Nicholas Bradford on Eight Is Enough, has died. He died from an accidental fentanyl overdose at his Los Angeles, California home on January 7, 2023. Mr. Rich was 54.

Rich starred as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest son, on the 1977-1981 ABC comedy-drama Eight Is Enough. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book by the same title. The cast included Dick Van Patten, Diana Hyland (season 1), Betty Buckley (seasons 2-5), Grant Goodeve, Lani O'Grady, Laurie Walters, Susan Richardson, Dianne Kay, Connie Needham (Newton) and Willie Aames.

He appeared as Nicholas Bradford in a 1980 episode of 3-2-1 Contact. He reprised the role in the NBC reunion movies Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion in 1987 and An Eight Is Enough Wedding in 1989.

Rich starred as Danny Blake on the 1981-1982 ABC action drama series Code Red, which was produced by Irwin Allen. The series stars Lorne Greene as Battalion Fire Chief Joe Rorchek and his family, some of whom, his elder sons Ted (Andrew Stevens) and Chris (Sam J. Jones), serve as firemen under his direct command as part of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The cast included Julie Adams, Martina Deignan, Joe Maross, James Crittenden, Dennis Haysbert and Jack Lindine.

He starred as Clovis in the final two episodes of the short-lived 1983 CBS sitcom Gun Shy. The series, produced by Walt Disney Productions, was based on its popular comedy-western films The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) and The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979). The cast included Barry Van Dyke, Tim Thomerson, Geoffrey Lewis, Keith Mitchell, Bridgette Andersen, Henry Jones, Janis Paige and Pat McCormick.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Silver Spoons and Small Wonder (2 episodes).

Some of his drama guest appearances included The Six Million Dollar Man, Fantasy Island (2 episodes), CHiPs (2 episodes), St. Elsewhere and Baywatch.

He provided the voice of Presto, the Magician, on the 1983-1985 CBS animated series Dungeons & Dragons. Presto is the 14-year-old Wizard of the team. His Eight Is Enough co-star Willie Aames provided the voice of Hank, the Ranger. Happy Days star Don Most provided the voice of Eric, the Cavalier.

Rich played Toby Hart in the 1981 feature film The Devil and Max Devlin, which starred Elliott Gould, Bill Cosby and Susan Anspach. He made a cameo as himself in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003).

Mr. Rich's role on Eight Is Enough led him to be known as "America's little brother." A distinctive feature of his appearance during his years as a child actor was his pageboy haircut, which inspired thousands of parents of that era to imitate the look for their young sons. We thank him for his work on Eight Is Enough and other television series. He will be sorely missed.

Share your memories on Eight Is Enough message board. View photos in our galleries.

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

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Labels: Eight is Enough, Emily in Paris, It's a Living, Mama's Family, Obits, SAG

MeTV January 2023 Schedule; Party Down Returns to Starz

MeTV Network will be making some schedule changes starting in January, mainly on weekends. One weekday change is that The Beverly Hillbillies will replace Gomer Pyle at 9PM. The Wild Wild West will replace Maverick on Saturdays at 10AM, while Svengoolie expands to 8 to 10:30PM on Saturdays, followed by Sventoonie. The first 2 1/2 hour Svengoolie will be The Raven (1963). Sunday afternoon Block Parties will be no more, but 10am-6pm will now feature one-hour blocks of Full House, The Flintstones/The Jetsons, The Brady Bunch, Leave it to Beaver, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, Mama's Family and The Love Boat. View the full MeTV January 2023 schedule.

STARZ announced the long-awaited return of the hit comedy series Party Down is set to premiere on Friday, February 24 at midnight on the STARZ app, all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms and internationally on the LIONSGATE+ premium streaming platform in the UK, Brazil and Latin America. On linear, it will debut on STARZ at 9:00 PM ET/PT in the U.S. and Canada. The third season will consist of six new episodes and to celebrate its return, a first look teaser and photo reuniting the Party Down catering crew is available.

Ten years later, most of the Party Down catering team have moved on, including actor/bartender Henry Pollard (Adam Scott, Severance, Parks and Recreation). After a surprise reunion, the gang find themselves once again stoically enduring the procession of random parties and oddball guests all over Los Angeles. Scott reprises his role alongside original cast members Ken Marino (The Other Two, Veronica Mars), Jane Lynch (Glee, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Martin Starr (Knocked Up, Silicon Valley), Ryan Hansen (Bless this Mess, Veronica Mars) and Megan Mullally (Will & Grace, The Great North). Previously announced new cast members joining in on the fun include Jennifer Garner (The Adam Project, Yes Day) Tyrel Jackson Williams (Thunder Force, Brockmire) and Zoë Chao (Love Life, The Afterparty). James Marsden (Disenchanted, Dead to Me) is set to recur as a guest star.

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

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Labels: Full House, Gilligan's Island, Gomer Pyle USMC, Leave it to Beaver, Mama's Family, ME-TV, Party Down, Starz, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Brady Bunch, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, The Love Boat

MeTV's A Very Merry MeTV Schedule; HBO Max's Sort Of Returns Dec. 1

MeTV kicks off the holiday season with A Very Merry MeTV. All season long, tune in for special festive programming from now until Christmas Day! This weekend, join MeTV for a block party of specially selected Thanksgiving-themed episodes starting Sunday at 12P | 11C and a celebration of Charles Schulz's 100th birthday as we watch A Boy Named Charlie Brown this Sunday at 8P | 7C! Othr holiday airings that will air include episodes of Mama's Family, Full House, The Brady Bunch, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Flintstones, The Honeymooners, Happy Days, The Waltons and so many more! See the full schedule of episodes.

The second season of the Max Original comedy series Sort Of debuts Thursday, December 1 on HBO Max followed by two new episodes weekly through December 22. The eight-episode second season of Sort Of is the season of love. Love includes your friends, family, work, romantic love and, most importantly, one’s self-love. Sabi decides that not only are they ready for some uncomplicated romance but they also want everyone to love each other. Unfortunately, Sabi is faced with situations and relationships that are anything but simple, including their dad’s unexpected return from Dubai, the Kaneko-Bauers’ struggles as Bessy is released from rehab and issues at Bar Bük.

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

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Labels: Full House, Happy Days, HBO Max, Mama's Family, ME-TV, Sort Of, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Brady Bunch, The Flintstones, The Honeymooners, The Waltons

MeTV Network Adds The A-Team for The Summer of Me; HBO Max Renews Two Comedies for Season 2

This summer, MeTV is adding some action to its weeknight line-up! 80's blockbuster The A-Team is joining the schedule and airing weeknights at 6pm starting Memorial Day - Monday, May 30. It will replace The Addams Family and Happy Days, which are off the regular line-up. The only other change to the line-up is on Sundays. A new five-hour block titled "The Summer of MeTV Sunday Block Party" where a different show will be showcased every week on Sunday afternoons from noon to 5PM eastern starting Sunday, June 5. No details yet on which shows will pop up all summer long, but from the hints in the promo below, we may see series like The Monkees, Mama's Family, I Love Lucy, Cheers, Laverne & Shirley and Gidget pop up. That's fun as none of those series are on the current regular line-up! As a result of the new Sunday Block Party block, Full House will move to Sundays at 5:00pm & 5:30pm replacing The Love Boat. View and discuss the 2022 The Summer of Me line-up.

HBO Max has renewed the comedy series Minx for a second season. The first season, from creator and showrunner Ellen Rapoport, Feigco Entertainment and Lionsgate Television, debuted in March on HBO Max and topped Esquire's list of "Best TV Shows of 2022 (Thus Far)." All ten episodes are available on HBO Max. Minx is set in 1970s Los Angeles and centers around Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond), an earnest young feminist who joins forces with a low-rent publisher (Jake Johnson) to create the first erotic magazine for women. Season One Cast: Ophelia Lovibond, Jake Johnson, Idara Victor, Jessica Lowe, Lennon Parham, Michael Angarano and Oscar Montoya.

HBO Max has renewed the comedy series Julia for a second season. The series, which debuted March 31 on HBO Max, concludes its first season on May 5. Julia is inspired by Julia Child's extraordinary life and her long-running television series, The French Chef, which pioneered the modern cooking show. Through Julia’s life and her singular joie de vivre, the series explores a pivotal time in American history – the emergence of public television as a new social institution, feminism and the women’s movement, the nature of celebrity and America’s cultural evolution. At its heart, the series is a portrait of a loving marriage with a shifting power dynamic. Season One Cast: Sarah Lancashire as Julia, David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Brittany Bradford, Fran Kranz and Fiona Glascott. Guest stars included Isabella Rossellini, Judith Light, Robert Joy, Erin Neufer, Jefferson Mays, James Cromwell and Adriane Lenox.

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

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Labels: A-Team, Addams Family, Full House, Gidget, Happy Days, HBO Max, I Love Lucy, Julia, Laverne and Shirley, Mama's Family, ME-TV, Minx, The Love Boat, The Monkees

Fri-Yay: Networks Have a Few Promising Comedies for 2022; Betty White Tribute Marathons on CMT, MeTV, TV Land, Decades, Hallmark, etc.

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay (but today it's on a Monday to open up 2022)! 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

This TV season, there were a handful of new sitcoms on network TV that I was looking forward to. However, nearly all of them (with the exception of CBS' Ghosts) were held for mid-season, as the networks seem to be prioritizing unscripted shows over sitcoms again. That said, there are two sitcoms that I'm interested in: NBC's American Auto and ABC's Abbott Elementary (both had special preview premieres in December).

American Auto technically already premiered (in a preview role), and the first two episodes have been entertaining. The show is very much in vein of Superstore (which it shares a creator with), and like that show, I expect a few episodes for it to really find its voice. I still miss Superstore and felt it really had another good season or two left in it, so if American Auto can take after it, I'd be very happy. The show does need to find its own identity beyond just being "the new Office/Superstore," but solid performances from its promising cast make it one to keep an eye on.

I'm also very interested in Abott Elementary (which also had its preview premiere in December, that encores tonight at 10pm, episode two premieres tommorow at 9). There have been few sitcoms to take place in elementary schools, so it seems like an interesting new setting for a workplace comedy. It also has gotten really solid reviews and seems to have a very talented cast. With so many sitcoms having ended in the past 2 years, there really haven’t been many new sitcoms to step up and fill their shoes. Let's hope the spring 2022 class can reach that goal.

Betty White tributes started on Saturday, with TV Land airing the first marathon titled "Celebration of Betty White" with marathon blocks of The Golden Girls and Hot in Cleveland rotating all weekend starting 6pm on Saturday and continuing to 6am this morning. TV Land Sitcoms channel on Pluto TV has been airing non-stop Hot in Cleveland all weekend. NBC re-aired Betty's SNL guest host appearance from 2010 on Saturday at 11:35pm. The Hallmark Channel aired a tribute last night titled "The Lost Valentine: Remembering Betty White," an encore of their Hallmark Hall of Fame movie from 2011 from 8-10pm, followed by a The Golden Girls block from 10pm-1am. But there are much more tributes and marathons to come! Today (January 3) all-day from 9am-4am ET, CMT will celebrate the iconic Betty White with The Golden Girls All-Day Marathon featuring back-to-back episodes of some of the best Rose Nylund episodes of all-time. DECADES airs the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Betty White on Friday, January 7 at 9pm ET and select episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and encore presentations of her Celebrity Roast all weekend long beginning Saturday, January 8 at 12pm ET.

MeTV will air a Sunday block for Betty White with four episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, two episodes of Mama's Family and a guest appearance from The Love Boat on Sunday, January 9 from 2-6pm ET/PT. There were planned 100th birthday marathons already scheduled, as we mentioned a few weeks back, but MeTV has moved those Mary Tyler Moore Show episodes to Jan. 9 instead and will no longer do a 100th birthday salute on the 16th. As of now, Hallmark Channel is still airing the Golden Girls marathon from Jan. 15-17.

This Saturday, January 8 starting at 9 a.m. ET, Game Show Network will air an 8-hour marathon of Match Game episodes featuring the golden girl of game shows and America's sweetheart, Betty White. Buzzr will begin their celebration of Betty White on Saturday, January 8, at 10:30 am EST with episodes of Match Game and Match Game PM. They will feature more game shows on January 16 and 17. Keep it right here with continued updates as we get more information from other TV networks/services.

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

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Labels: Abbott Elementary, ABC, American Auto, Betty White, BUZRR, CMT, Decades, Fri-Yay, Golden Girls, GSN, Hot in Cleveland, Mama's Family, Mary Tyler Moore Show, ME-TV, NBC, Superstore, The Love Boat, The Office, TV Land

MeTV Summer 2021 Schedule, Monk Joins Lineup; HBO Max Sets Cast for Period Comedy

MeTV has announced its summer 2021 schedule. There are minor changes to the lineup, with the majority of them happening on Sundays. MeTV will air the Tony Shalhoub series Monk in primetime on Sundays at 8pm and 9pm beginning Sunday, July 18. The series will join the lineup following fellow detective Columbo from 6-8pm to form a detective block. The Gilligan's Island Three-Hour Tour is being cut to a two-hour instead from 2-4pm instead of 2-5pm, as Mama's Family will now move to the earlier 4pm hour. So the only show off the lineup on Sundays is M*A*S*H, but that series still airs weeknights. The Love Boat will now move up to Sundays at 5pm. Back to primetime, The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show and Carol Burnett and Friends will now air in the 10pm hour following Monk. And the final Sunday change is The Honeymooners taking one of the The Twilight Zone half-hours at 12am. The only change to the weekday lineup will be The Carol Burnett Show being swapped out for Carol Burnett & Friends instead at 11pm. View the full MeTV Summer 2021 schedule.

HBO Max, the direct-to-consumer offering from WarnerMedia, has set its cast for the period comedy Our Flag Means Death. Oscar(R) winner and multi-Emmy(R) Award nominee Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows, Jojo Rabbit) will executive produce the series and direct the pilot. Series creator and showrunner David Jenkins (People of Earth) executive produces with Emmy(R) nominated producer Garrett Basch (The Night Of, What We Do in the Shadows) and Dan Halsted. 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. The series also stars the previously announced Academy Award(R) winner Taika Waititi as "Blackbeard," history's most feared and revered pirate. Waititi is directing the pilot. Kristian Nairn (Game of Thrones, The Little People, internationally renowned DJ) as "Wee John Feeney." Nathan Foad (Bloods) as "Lucius." Samson Kayo (Truth Seekers, The Bubble, Death to 2020) as "Oluwande." Rory Kinnear (Bond, Penny Dreadful, The Imitation Game) as "Captain Nigel Badminton" and "Chauncey Badminton." Con O'Neill (The Batman, The Way of the Wind, Chernobyl) as "Izzy." Vico Ortiz (Vida, Everything's Gonna Be Okay, American Horror Story: 1984) as "Bonifacia." Our Flag Means Death is executive produced by Waititi, series creator and showrunner David Jenkins, Emmy(R)-nominated producer Garrett Basch and Dan Halsted.

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

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Labels: Columbo, Gilligan's Island, HBO Max, M*A*S*H, Mama's Family, ME-TV, Monk, Our Flag Means Death, The Carol Burnett Show, The Honeymooners, The Love Boat

SitcomsOnline Digest: Valerie Bertinelli Cast in Comedy Pilot with Demi Lovato; Broadway Version of The Nanny in the Works

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Valerie Bertinelli has been cast to play the role of the mother of a character played by Demi Lovato in an NBC comedy pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Are you ready for a Broadway musical version of the sitcom The Nanny? Fran Drescher says it is coming, but don't worry, she won't be in it so we won't be hearing her sing. (Deadline)
• Chris Harrison won't be returning to The Bachelor. (CNN)
• Samantha Micelli for Congress? Alyssa Milano says she may run, although she seems to be attached to the reboot of Who's the Boss? as well. (Yahoo! News)
• Fans waited almost two decades for a reunion of Friends, but if you want a reunion for Keeping Up with the Kardashians, you only need to wait until this coming Thursday (one week after last Thursday's series finale). (Deadline)
• Clarice had been set to move from CBS to Paramount+, but the prospects of it actually happening aren't looking the best at the moment following a stalemate. (Deadline)
• CNN will explore the history of the sitcom in an upcoming docuseries. (SitcomsOnline) 

WEEKLY PLANNER (JUNE 12 - JUNE 18)

• It may be Father's Day next weekend, but this weekend, Decades is celebrating mother with a binge of Mama's Family.
  
• Ion will begin airing reruns of Chicago Fire on Monday, which doesn't sound like a huge deal, but the series just ended its ninth season and this is the first time it has appeared in syndication.
  
• Tuca & Bertie returns for a second season on Sunday, only now it'll air on Adult Swim instead of Netflix.
• Wednesday has the return of Dave on FXX.
  

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

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Labels: Chicago Fire, Mama's Family, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Bachelor, The Nanny, Tuca & Bertie

CBS Orders New Chuck Lorre Comedy to Series; MeTV and Game Show Network to Remember Alex Trebek

CBS has ordered United States of Al to series, a new multi-camera comedy from award-winning executive producer Chuck Lorre and creators/writers David Goetsch and Maria Ferrari, for the 2020-2021 broadcast season. United States of Al stars Adhir Kalyan (Rules of Engagement) and Parker Young (Suburgatory) in a comedy about the friendship between Riley (Young), a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio, and Awalmir ("Al") (Kalyan), the interpreter who served with his unit in Afghanistan and has just arrived to start a new life in America. Kelli Goss, Dean Norris and Elizabeth Alderfer also star. David Goetsch & Maria Ferrari, Chuck Lorre, Reza Aslan, Mahyad Tousi and director Mark Cendrowski (pilot only) are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc.

The new comedy joins four additional series from Chuck Lorre that are already on the Network's schedule, including Young Sheldon, Mom, Bob ♥ Abishola and new comedy B Positive. All of which have premiered this November, but Bob ♥ Abishola which premieres Monday, Nov. 16. Stay tuned for a premiere date for United States of Al.

Honoring the memory and legendary career of Alex Trebek, Game Show Network is scheduled to air a six-hour Jeopardy! marathon on Saturday, November 14 at 9am-3pm ET. Game Show Network talent will share words of tribute throughout the marathon. Meanwhile, the MeTV Network will air some sitcoms! This Friday, November 13, at 9PM | 8C, MeTV pays tribute to legendary game show host Alex Trebek with a special presentation of two sitcom classics. Watch as two cherished characters of television comedy play as contestants on Jeopardy! First, at 9PM | 8C, Vicki Lawrence's Thelma "Mama" Harper heads to Jeopardy! in the 1987 Mama's Family episode "Mama on Jeopardy!" Then, at 9:30PM | 8:30C, tune in for a special airing of Cheers, when know-it-all mailman Cliff Clavin plays Jeopardy! in the unforgetable "What Is... Cliff Clavin?" from 1990. Trebek plays himself, the host of Jeopardy!, in both episodes, which rank as favorites amongst fans.

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

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Labels: B Positive, Bob ♥ Abishola, CBS, Cheers, GSN, Jeopardy, Mama's Family, MeTV, Mom, United States of Al, Young Sheldon

Summer of Me Returns June 1 on MeTV; FXX Orders More Dave

One, two, three o'clock, four o'clock, rock... Get ready to rock with Fonzie and the gang all over again! Happy Days is here again and back on MeTV Network. On Sundays in the Summer of Me, two full hours of the beloved sitcom (2-3pm and 4-5pm) are joined by Laverne & Shirley (3-4pm) and Mama's Family (5-6pm), beginning at 2PM | 1C. And that's not all - Happy Days joins the weeknight lineup at 6:30PM | 5:30C, following The Flintstones. The Summer of Me kicks off on Monday, June 1. Be sure to start from the very beginning to see how these shows evolved from their premieres. Other changes: The Powers of Matthew Star flies into Sunday mornings at 6AM | 5C. Peter Barton starred alongside Lou Gossett, Jr., in this 1982 superhero series. The rarely aired one-hour episodes of The Twilight Zone from season four (1963) arrive to chill you in summer nights every Sunday at 12AM | 11C. View the full Summer of Me schedule that begins June 1!

FXX's critically acclaimed hit comedy series Dave has been renewed for a second season, which will bow in 2021. The recently concluded first season of Dave is FX Networks' most-watched comedy series ever with an average episodic audience of 5.32 million Total Viewers to-date across linear, VOD and streaming, and that number is growing. The total audience for DAVE tops the previous FX record holder Atlanta, which averaged 5.2 million Total Viewers on all platforms in its first season. The complete 10-episode first season is available for streaming FX on Hulu.

Based on the life of rapper and comedian Dave Burd, a.k.a Lil Dicky, FXX's Dave is centered on a neurotic man in his late twenties who has convinced himself that he's destined to be one of the best rappers of all time. Now he must convince his closest friends, because with their help, he actually might convince the world. The series stars Dave Burd ("Dave"), Taylor Misiak ("Ally"), Andrew Santino ("Mike"), GaTa ("GaTa"), Travis Bennett ("Elz") and Christine Ko ("Emma"). The first season has also featured notable guest stars including Justin Bieber, Young Thug, Trippie Redd and Kourtney Kardashian. 

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

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Labels: Dave, FXX, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Mama's Family, ME-TV, The Flintstones, Twilight Zone

2019 A Very Merry MeTV Lineup; Ricky Gervais Returns to Host Golden Globe Awards

It's going to be "A Very Merry MeTV" holiday season this season on the MeTV Network. The festivities begin on Sunday, November 17 with Thanksgiving episodes and will air every Sunday thereafter until Dec. 22, all from 5pm-8pm. You'll see holiday episodes of sitcoms such as Diff'rent Strokes, Happy Days, Mama's Family, The Brady Bunch, The Jeffersons, WKRP in Cincinnati, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi and many more! Christmas Eve (Dec. 24, 1am-3am) and Christmas Day (Dec. 25, 11am-1pm) will see a two-hour block of Holiday Greetings from The Ed Sullivan Show. But that's not all! Oh-ho-ho-ho, no! MeTV also sprinkled the schedule with other holiday episodes that will air during their normal schedule of shows like ALF, The Facts of Life and Gilligan's Island. For now, view the full "A Very Merry MeTV" Sunday evening block schedule:

Sunday, November 17
5:00pm Diff'rent Strokes
5:30pm Diff'rent Strokes
6:00pm The Love Boat
7:00pm Happy Days
7:30pm Mama's Family

Sunday, November 24
5:00pm Saved By The Bell
5:30pm The Brady Bunch
6:00pm Cheers
6:30pm Cheers
7:00pm M*A*S*H
7:30pm WKRP In Cincinnati

Sunday, December 1
5:00pm The Beverly Hillbillies
5:30pm Laverne & Shirley
6:00pm The Love Boat
7:00pm M*A*S*H
7:30pm M*A*S*H

Sunday, December 8
5:00pm The Honeymooners
5:30pm The Odd Couple
6:00pm A Very Brady Christmas (1988, Movie)

Sunday, December 15
5:00pm WKRP In Cincinnati
5:30pm The Jeffersons
6:00pm The Love Boat
7:00pm The Love Boat

Sunday, December 22
5:00pm The Andy Griffith Show
5:30pm The Bob Newhart Show
6:00pm The Mary Tyler Moore Show
6:30pm The Dick Van Dyke Show
7:00pm Taxi
7:30pm Cheers

Global comedy superstar Ricky Gervais, in his unique and legendary fashion, will resume hosting duties for a record fifth time at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Gervais hosted the Golden Globes in 2010-12 and returned for a fourth time in 2016. The three-hour telecast will air live on NBC coast to coast Sunday, January 5, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Golden Globes serve as the official kickoff to the 2020 awards season. 25 categories - 14 in film and 11 in television - are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Creator and star of The Office UK and Extras, Ricky Gervais has won three Golden Globes, two Primetime Emmys and seven BAFTAS. The Office is the most successful British comedy of all time, shown in more than 90 countries with seven remakes. The NBC version is the most successful U.S. remake of a British show in more than 30 years.

Considered the most influential British comedian since Charlie Chaplin, Gervais is an award-winning stand-up comedian, with five international tours to date. His live stand up show Fame became the fastest selling UK stand-up show in history. Gervais can most recently be seen in the dark comedy After Life, which he created, directs, stars in and executive produced. The series premiered March 8 worldwide on Netflix and will return for a second season in 2020.

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

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Labels: Brady Bunch, Cheers, Dick Van Dyke Show, Diff'rent Strokes, Golden Globes, Happy Days, Mama's Family, Mary Tyler Moore Show, ME-TV, NBC, Taxi, The Jeffersons, WKRP in Cincinnati

Comedy Central Orders Awkwafina Comedy; Remembering Ken Berry of F Troop, Mayberry R.F.D. and Mama's Family

Comedy Central is working with ascendant multi-hyphenate Awkwafina, as the #1 brand in comedy ordered 10 episodes of her self-titled scripted series. Awkwafina is a half-hour scripted narrative starring writer, actor and rapper Awkwafina (Ocean's 8, Crazy Rich Asians) as a twenty-something living in Queens, striving for a larger than life existence while living with her father and grandmother. Awkwafina, Karey Dornetto (SMILF, Portlandia) and Teresa Hsiao (Family Guy, American Dad) wrote the pilot directed by Lucia Aniello (Broad City, Rough Night). The cast is rounded out by Bowen Yang as Awkwafina's more successful cousin, BD Wong as her father, and Lori Tan Chinn as her grandmother.

Looking ahead, Comedy Central has a stacked year to offer fans with a programming slate that will feature new and returning series including: the premieres of scripted half-hour series Robbie, The Other Two and South Side; sketch-comedy series Alternatino with Arturo Castro; stand-up series This Week at the Comedy Cellar and The New Negroes; new series from Jordan Klepper and Anthony Jeselnik; along with the final season of Broad City, the return of the critically acclaimed Corporate, and new seasons of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Tosh.0, Drunk History, The Jim Jefferies Show and much, much more.

Actor Ken Berry, who starred in F Troop, Mayberry R.F.D. and Mama's Family, has died. He died on December 1 in Burbank, California. Mr. Berry was 85.

Berry's early television guest appearances included Talent Patrol, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, Playboy's Penthouse and Harrigan and Son. He had a recurring role as Woody, a bellhop at a New York hotel called the Bartley House, in the CBS sitcom The Ann Sothern Show from 1960 to 1961. He appeared in seven episodes of Ensign O'Toole as Calucci / Lt. Melton from 1962 to 1963. Some of his other 1960s sitcom guest appearances included The Jim Backus Show, Peter Loves Mary, Hennesey, The Gertrude Berg Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show (two episodes), Hazel, No Time for Sergeants (three episodes), The Lucy Show and The Andy Griffith Show (four episodes as Sam Jones).

His first sitcom starring role was as Captain Wilton Parmenter in the 1965-1967 ABC sitcom F Troop. He was the gallant although laughably clumsy military governor of the territory and commander of Fort Courage. The series, which ran for two seasons, also starred Forrest Tucker, Larry Storch, Melody Patterson, Frank de Kova, Don Diamond, James Hampton, Bob Steele and Joe Brooks.

He appeared in the last few episodes of The Andy Griffith Show as Sam Jones, a widowed farmer with a young son, in 1968. Berry continued to play the character in the spin-off series Mayberry R.F.D., which premiered on CBS on September 23, 1968. It ran for three seasons and 78 episodes until the rural purge of 1971. The series also starred Frances Bavier (1968-1970), George Lindsay, Jack Dodson, Paul Hartman, Arlene Golonka, Buddy Foster and Alice Ghostley.

Berry had a long working relationship with Carol Burnett. He made 19 guest appearances on The Carol Burnett Show from 1968 to 1978. They appeared together in the 1972 CBS color remake of Burnett's Broadway hit, Once Upon a Mattress. He played Phillip, Eunice's brother, in the 1982 CBS TV movie Eunice, which was based on The Carol Burnett Show sketch, The Family.

He starred as Vinton Harper in Mama's Family, which was a spin-off from The Carol Burnett Show. Vinton was the youngest of Thelma Harper's three children. He was married to Naomi Oates Harper. The series aired for two seasons on NBC from 1983 to 1984 and four seasons in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1990. It starred Vicki Lawrence, Rue McClanahan (1983-1984), Dorothy Lyman, Eric Brown (1983-1984), Karin Argoud (1983-1984), Betty White (1983-1984, 1986), Allan Kayser (1986-1990) and Beverly Archer (1986-1990).

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style, The Brady Bunch, The Love Boat, Gimme a Break!, Small Wonder, The Golden Girls and Maggie Winters.

He appeared in television dramas. He provided comic relief as Dr. John Kapish in 25 episodes of Dr. Kildare, which starred Richard Chamberlain, from 1961 to 1964. Some of his drama guest appearances included Michael Shayne, General Electric Theatre, Mr. Novak, Burke's Law, Combat!, The Rogues, Rawhide, 12 O'Clock High, Medical Center, Ellery Queen, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, Little House on the Prairie, CHiPs and Fantasy Island.

Some of his film credits included the 1969 musical comedy Hello Down There, Guardian of the Wilderness and Disney's Herbie Rides Again and The Cat from Outer Space.

Berry was also an accomplished dancer and singer. He appeared on Broadway in The Billy Barnes Revue and headlined as George M. Cohan in the musical George M!. Some of his other theater credits included The Music Man, I Do! I Do!, Sugar and 1993's From the Top with Carol Burnett. In 1970, he released an album called Ken Berry RFD. He appeared in two episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1964 as dance instructor Tony Daniels. He had his own short-lived summer musical variety series called The Ken Berry "Wow" Show on ABC in 1972. He worked as a choreographer on several episodes of Mama's Family.

He was interviewed for the Archive of American Television for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on March 7, 2012.

Mr. Berry was a man of many talents as an actor, dancer and singer. He stated in interviews that he was most proud of his work on F Troop, but he made everything he appeared in much better. He just seemed like a genuine, likable man. We thank him for the many laughs and hours of entertainment that he brought us during his long career. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our F Troop, Mayberry R.F.D. and Mama's Family message boards. View photos in our galleries.

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

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Labels: Andy Griffith Show, Awkwafina, Broad City, Comedy Central, Corporate, F Troop, Mama's Family, Mayberry RFD, Obits, Robbie, South Side, The Other Two

MeTV January 2018 Schedule Has Diff'rent Strokes; HBO Hit Comedy Returns for 2nd Year

Diff'rent Strokes is coming to The MeTV Network this January! The Gary Coleman sitcom will launch on January 1 airing weekday mornings at 6:30am and Sundays from 3-4pm, both following The Facts of Life. The series was previously on Antenna TV a few years back. This is the only addition to the January 2018 Winter MeTV schedule. Some shows are returning from hiatus, though, and they are: Peter Gunn, Mr. Lucky, Kolchak: The Night Stalker and Land of the Giants. With some shows returning, that means a few shows will be off the schedule, and they are: T.J. Hooker, I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, Highway Patrol and The Outer Limits. Some other changes include Mama's Family weeknights at 9:30pm and Sundays 4-5pm, as ALF will now only be Sundays from 6-7am. View the full MeTV Network January 2018 schedule.

Providing a peek into the cramped apartments, grinding routines and urban neuroses of New Yorkers, the hit comedy High Maintenance kicks off its ten-episode second season Friday, Jan. 19 from 11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on HBO. Ben Sinclair returns as The Guy, a bearded, pot-dealing deliveryman whose growing clientele is keeping him busier than ever. Introducing new customers and revisiting familiar ones, the second season of High Maintenance weaves together a labyrinth of humor, poignant observations and heartfelt moments in stories that explore the lives of intriguing and colorful individuals from all walks of life. Created by Katja Blichfeld (Emmy(R)-winning casting director of 30 Rock) and Ben Sinclair (Home Again, Sisters), High Maintenance is executive produced by Katja Blichfeld, Ben Sinclair and Russell Gregory.

A comedy of human interaction, the new season of High Maintenance delves deeper into the contemporary anxieties New Yorkers are experiencing, from political tension to soaring real estate prices, while emphasizing the importance of savoring the highs of life in this increasingly volatile world. Pulling back the curtain on The Guy's personal life, the second season reveals a few more people and details of what happens when he's not on the clock. New guest stars this season include Danielle Brooks (Orange Is the New Black), John Gallagher, Jr. (HBO's The Newsroom), Jessica Hecht (The Forgotten), Luzer Twersky (Félix & Meira) and Kate Lyn Sheil (Girlfriend), with Abdullah Saeed (Bong Appétit) and Yael Stone (Orange Is the New Black) returning.

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

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Labels: ALF, Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life, HBO, High Maintenance, Mama's Family, ME-TV