SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Agrees to Purchase Roku; Mickey Mouse Set to Star in Home Alone Remake

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing of another media merger, (unfortunately) more deaths of classic TV icons we all love, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• The media mergers just never end, and now Fox says it is buying Roku. (NPR)
• Disney is bringing us some more "synergy" from their acquisition of 20th Century Fox, as they're preparing for a Home Alone redo of sorts starring Mickey Mouse. (Deadline)
• Iconic director James Burrows, who worked on TV series from The Mary Tyler Moore Show all the way up through the recent Netflix series Mid-Century Modern, has died at 85. (Variety)
• Anne Schedeen, known for her role of playing Kate Tanner on ALF, has died at 77. (People)
• We've got details on Jimmy Kimmel's summer guest hosts. (SitcomsOnline)

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

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Labels: ALF, Fox, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mid-Century Modern, Not Suitable for Work, Roku, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Bear

SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Cancels Alert: Missing Persons Unit and The Cleaning Lady; Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune Headed to Streaming

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're in the slow summer months of news, but we're here for some nonetheless. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• You'd be forgiven if you've never watched them or even heard of them, even though they've been on for a few seasons, but Fox has canceled Alert: Missing Persons Unit and The Cleaning Lady. (Deadline)
• The ratings for Saturday Night Live were good for season 50. (Variety)
• It's crazy to think that after over a decade of next day streaming being a common thing, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! have not been available in that format, but that's about to change this fall. (Variety)
• The creators of Mid-Century Modern want viewers to stop thinking of it as a gay Golden Girls. (Deadline)
• Jonathan Joss, known for his role of John Redcorn on King of the Hill, died after being shot. (BBC)
• We've got early details for the second season of Netflix's Nobody Wants This. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (JUNE 7 - JUNE 13)

• Catchy Comedy has a binge of Gomer Pyle, USMC tomorrow.
• The 2025 Tony Awards air Sunday on CBS.
• There's a new season of The 1% Club, with a new host, on Fox on Tuesday.

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

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Labels: Gomer Pyle USMC, Jeopardy, King of the Hill, Mid-Century Modern, Nobody Wants This, Saturday Night Live, SitcomsOnline Digest, Wheel of Fortune

Hulu Spring 2025 Slate; The Making of The Americas Special Narrated by Tom Hanks on NBC

Hulu's spring 2025 programming includes the highly anticipated finale of hit series The Kardashians on April 10, in addition to a slate of comedies with the premiere of Mid-Century Modern on March 28 and Hularious stand-up specials for Jessica Kirson on April 25 and Matteo Lane on May 16. Your favorite reality stars are back, along with some new faces, for this spring's unscripted slate, including Lisa Vanderpump and Stassi Schroeder in season two of Vanderpump Villa, the #MomTok women of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and some iconic reality stars in Hulu's new unscripted series Got to Get Out. In addition, Hulu’s much-awaited scripted favorites will return this spring with the sixth and final season of The Handmaid's Tale and season two of Nine Perfect Strangers. The latter's premiere date will be announced soon, but the new cast joining Nicole Kidman are Henry Golding, Lena Olin, Annie Murphy, Christine Baranski, Lucas Englander, King Princess, Murray Bartlett, Dolly de Leon, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Mark Strong and Aras Aydin.

The special The Making of 'The Americas', airing on NBC on Sunday, April 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, will give audiences a behind-the-scenes look at The Americas, which was filmed over five years across 180 expeditions in some of the most extreme locations on Earth. Narrator Tom Hanks and the crew will reveal perils and breakthroughs behind the lens of this milestone nature series - trekking through corrosive waters 14,000 feet up in the Andes to film flamingos, weathering Amazonian lightning storms, forging bonds between a wild puma and its longtime cameraman, and pioneering cinematography from cameras mounted on the back of a whales. The special will explore the dedication, fieldcraft, humor, heart and innovation that came together to create one of the most ambitious wildlife series ever produced.

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

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Labels: Hulu, Mid-Century Modern, NBC

SitcomsOnline Digest: Premiere Date for Mid-Century Modern Set; Roseanne Remastered in High Definition

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing about a premiere date for a Hulu series, the remastering of Roseanne in high definition, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• A premiere date has been set for Mid-Century Modern. (Deadline)
• Roseanne has been remastered in high definition, and those episodes will begin appearing on TV broadcasts in the next few days. (MSN)
• Some Boy Meets World unsettled drama is apparently still unsettled decades later. (Entertainment Weekly)
• We've mentioned many times that NBC is spinning off most of their cable networks (aside from Bravo), but will this bring the networks back to their previous glory or is it just the next step toward the end of cable TV as we know it? (Variety)
• Lester Holt is leaving NBC Nightly News in the summer, but will remain with Dateline. (NBC )
• The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will remain on NBC for at least 10 more years. (Variety)
• There are a lot of former TV stars that we're remembering this week. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (MARCH 1 - MARCH 7)

• Tomorrow's binge on Catchy Comedy is The Flying Nun.
• ABC's Thursday night programs return for new episodes next week.
• A new season of The Amazing Race arrives Wednesday on CBS.

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

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Labels: Boy Meets World, Flying Nun, Mid-Century Modern, NBC, Roseanne, SitcomsOnline Digest

Hulu Sitcom Mid-Century Modern Premiere Date; NBC Renews Happy's Place for Season 2

Hulu's upcoming original multi-camera comedy series, Mid-Century Modern, from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick & David Kohan and executive producer Ryan Murphy, will premiere with all ten episodes on March 28, 2025 on Hulu. Mid-Century Modern follows three best friends - gay gentlemen of a certain age – who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother. As a chosen family, they prove that no matter how hard things get, there’s always someone around to remind you it would be better if you got your neck done.

Mid-Century Modern stars Nathan Lane as Bunny Schneiderman, Matt Bomer as Jerry Frank, Nathan Lee Graham as Arthur Broussard and Linda Lavin as Sybil Schneiderman, Bunny's mother. GUEST STARS: Pamela Adlon, Vanessa Bayer, Kimberly Coles, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Judd Hirsch, Richard Kind, Stephanie Koenig, Billie Lourd, Esther Moon Wu, Jaime Moyer, Cheri Oteri, Rhea Perlman, Zane Phillips and more.

NBC has ordered a second season of its hit comedy series Happy's Place. The sitcom is the #2 NBC comedy launch ever on Peacock, behind only the network's other freshman hit, St. Denis Medical. Happy's Place airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on NBC and next day on Peacock. In the sitcom, Bobbie (Reba McEntire) inherits her father's tavern (Happy's Place) and is surprised to discover that she has a new business partner, Isabella (Belissa Escobedo), a twentysomething half-sister she never knew she had. The series stars Reba McEntire, Belissa Escobedo, Melissa Peterman, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn.

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

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Labels: Happy's Place, Hulu, Mid-Century Modern, NBC, Peacock

SitcomsOnline Digest: The Righteous Gemstones to End After Upcoming Season; Mid-Century Modern to Pay Tribute to Linda Lavin

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing of the cancelation of an HBO series, we're learning about how Linda Lavin will be written out of her upcoming series, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• The Righteous Gemstones is coming to an end after the upcoming fourth season at HBO. (Variety)
• Linda Lavin, who had recently filmed 7 episodes for the upcoming new Netflix series called Mid-Century Modern before dying a few weeks ago, has been written out of the series with an episode titled "Here's to You, Mrs. Schneiderman." (TV Line)
• Amidst the fires in Los Angeles, we're getting a look at some of the TV locations that no longer exist after burning down. (Deadline)
• Byron Allen has made a lot of enemies in recent weeks as his Allen Media Group local TV stations have been laying off local meteorologists with plans to replace them with satellite feeds from The Weather Channel, but it looks like they are canceling those plans now. (Cord Cutters News)
• Presumably they want us to forget that they already tried this and shut it down before even trying to make it work, but CNN is building a new streaming service. (The Verge)
• We've got some Fox Animation Domination lineup news, and it seems to suggest that the rumor that The Simpsons was moving to Wednesday was wrong. (SitcomsOnline)
• Rewind TV is making some schedule changes, but unfortunately, as has been the case for a lot of the retro TV networks for the past few years, we aren't getting any new additions to the lineup. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31)

• Tomorrow's Catchy Binge on Catchy Comedy is Happy Days.
• The CBS Sherlock Holmes inspired series Watson debuts tomorrow night.
• The CBS sitcom lineup returns with all new episodes this week.

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

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Labels: CNN, Happy Days, Mid-Century Modern, Rewind TV, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Righteous Gemstones, The Simpsons

SitcomsOnline Digest: HBO Cancels The Franchise; Alice Actress Linda Lavin Dies

 Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're still in that slow Christmas week of news, but we still have a few headlines, including the cancellation of an HBO series and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• HBO has canceled The Franchise. (Deadline)
• Remember when cable companies used to offer free preview weekends of movie channels? Apple TV+ is doing something like that this weekend. (Cord Cutters News)
• Linda Lavin died earlier this week, and she had already finished 7 of the 10 episodes of the upcoming Hulu series that she had a role in, Mid-Century Modern, making it unclear how they will proceed now. (TheWrap)
• Catchy Comedy has a new Saturday lineup, which features a recreation of the 1970s CBS lineup at night. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (JANUARY 4 - JANUARY 10)

• You can catch an Alice marathon as a tribute to Linda Lavin this weekend on Antenna TV.
• Catchy Comedy debuts a new Saturday lineup this weekend, which includes a recreation of the CBS Saturday night lineup from the 70s, today, followed by a Night Court binge tomorrow.
• The crossover event that features the cast of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Abbott Elementary airs Wednesday on ABC.
• Shifting Gears also debuts Wednesday night on ABC.
• CBS brings back a new version of Hollywood Squares on Thursday night.

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

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Labels: Abbott Elementary, Access Hollywood, Alice, Apple TV+, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mid-Century Modern, Night Court, Shifting Gears, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Franchise

Remembering Linda Lavin of Alice; Hulu Releases Chad Powers Teaser

Tony-winning actress Linda Lavin, who starred as Alice Hyatt in Alice, has died. She died in Los Angeles of complications from lung cancer on December 29. Ms. Lavin was 87.

Lavin moved to Hollywood in 1973 and began to work on television. She made her first sitcom guest appearance as Linda Monroe in a 1974 episode of Rhoda. She had a recurring role as Detective Janice Wentworth in five episodes of Barney Miller during the first and second seasons (1975-1976). In 1976, she guest starred as Margaret Gates in an episode of Phyllis.

She starred as Alice Hyatt in the 1976-1985 CBS sitcom Alice. The series is based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Alice Hyatt is a widow who moves with her young son to start life over again, and finds a job as a waitress working at the roadside Mel's Diner in Phoenix, Arizona. Lavin performed the series' theme song, "There's a New Girl in Town," which was written by David Shire and Alan and Marilyn Bergman and was updated for each of the first six seasons. During the series' nine-season run, Lavin earned two Golden Globe Awards in 1978 and 1979 and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1979.

Lavin directed 10 episodes of the series from 1980 to 1984. In a handful of episodes, Alice put on a double-breasted suit and fedora to assume the character of husky-voiced "Sam Butler", a mobster she made up as a ruse to fool her intended target. She also played a dual role as Debbie Walden, the wizened and former landlady of the character Vera Louise Gorman-Novak. The cast of Alice included Vic Tayback, Beth Howland, Polly Holliday (1976-1980), Philip McKeon, Diane Ladd (1980-1981), Celia Weston (1981-1985), and Charles Levin (1983-1985). Recurring cast members included Marvin Kaplan (1977-1985), Dave Madden (1978-1985), Martha Raye (1978-1984), Duane R. Campbell (1978-1985), Tony Longo (1981-1984), and Alan Haufrect (1978-1980).

She starred as Edie Kurland in the 1992-1993 ABC sitcom Room for Two. Edie Kurland is the mother of Jill Kurland (Patricia Heaton), an executive producer of a New York City television show called Wake Up, New York. Edie has her own segment called "Just a Thought" at the end of the program. The series also starred Peter Michael Goetz, Paula Kelly, Bess Meyer, Andrew Prine, John Putch, and Jeff Yagher.

Lavin starred as Florie Bloom in the short-lived 1998 NBC sitcom Conrad Bloom. The show is centered around Conrad Bloom (Mark Feuerstein), a copywriter in New York City, looking for love whilst trying to pursue his career. Florie Bloom is Conrad's guilt-inducing mom. The series also starred Lauren Graham, Jessica Stone, Ever Carradine, Paula Newsome, and Steve Landesberg.

She starred as Lorna Harrison in the short-lived 2013-2014 NBC sitcom Sean Saves the World. Sean Harrison (Sean Hayes) is a divorced gay father with a successful, yet demanding, career. Lorna Harrison is Sean's pushy, meddling mother. The series also starred Megan Hilty, Echo Kellum, Samantha Isler, and Thomas Lennon.

Lavin reunited with Mark Feuerstein in the short-lived 2017-2018 CBS sitcom 9JKL. She starred as Judy Roberts, the mother of Josh Roberts. Josh Roberts (Mark Feuerstein), a divorced actor whose TV series was recently cancelled, moves back to New York City and lives in apartment 9K. His family lives in adjacent apartments: his parents live in 9J, while his brother, sister-in-law, and their newborn baby live in 9L. The cast included Elliott Gould, Liza Lapira, David Walton, Albert Tsai, and Matt Murray.

She starred as Norma Goldman in the 2020-2022 CBS sitcom B Positive. Norma Goldman is one of the senior citizens at Valley Hills assisted living facility. She has a maternal, nurturing relationship with Gina (Annaleigh Ashford), but she can be fairly randy, irresponsible, and demanding. The cast included Kether Donohue, Sara Rue, Izzy G, David Anthony Higgins, and Darryl Stephens.

Lavin guest starred as Phyllis in two episodes of Mom in 2016. Some of her other comedy credits included Bob's Burgers (voice, 2 episodes), Santa Clarita Diet (4 episodes as Jean), Brockmire, and No Good Deed (3 episodes as Phyllis Adelman). She was filming the upcoming Hulu multi-camera comedy series Mid-Century Modern. She was starring as Sybil Schneiderman, Bunny Schneiderman's (Nathan Lane) mother.

Some of her other television guest appearnaces included Harry O, Family, Kaz, Touched by an Angel, The Sopranos, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The O.C. (3 episodes), The Good Wife (3 episodes), Bones, Madam Secretary, and Elsbeth.

She won a Tony Award in 1987 for Best Actress in a Play and her second Drama Desk Award for her role as Kate in Neil Simon's play Broadway Bound. She received Tony Award nominations for her work in Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1970), The Diary of Anne Frank (1998), The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (2001), Collected Stories (2010), and The Lyons (2012).

Ms. Lavin was a talented actress and singer. She was funny and memorable as Alice Hyatt for nine seasons in Alice. She made all of the sitcoms she appeared in much better. We thank her for the laughs and entertainment she brought us during her career. She will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Alice message board. View photos in our galleries.

Big things are coming in 2025. Hulu's half-hour comedy Chad Powers, from co-creators and executive producers Glen Powell and Michael Waldron will premiere Fall 2025. Eli Manning serves as executive producer along with Omaha Productions' Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz, Ben Brown and ESPN. Waldron and Adam Fasullo are executive producing for Anomaly Pictures. Luvh Rakhe will executive produce and Tony Yacenda will serve as director and executive producer. The series stars Powell, who is also co-creating, co-writing and executive producing under his production co-banner Barnstorm Productions.

When bad behavior nukes hotshot QB Russ Holliday's college career, he disguises himself and walks onto a struggling Southern football team as the talented, affable Chad Powers. Based on the sketch produced by NFL Films and Omaha Productions that aired on ESPN+ as part of the Eli's Places series, the half-hour comedy from 20th Television will stream on Hulu. Powell and Waldron co-wrote the pilot.

The series stars Glen Powell as Russ Holliday/Chad Powers, Perry Mattfeld as Ricky, Quentin Plair as Coach Byrd, Wynn Everett as Tricia, Frankie A. Rodriguez as Danny and Steve Zahn as Jake Hudson.

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

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Labels: 9JKL, Alice, B Positive, Barney Miller, Chad Powers, Hulu, Mid-Century Modern, Obits, Room for Two, Sean Saves the World

SitcomsOnline Digest: The Drew Carey Show Now Streaming for Free; Hulu Picks Up Mid-Century Modern Comedy

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we have streaming news for a show many have been waiting on for years, some Simpsons updates, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• The Drew Carey Show has been absent from DVDs and streaming, that is, until now, since you now can watch almost every episode (a few are missing) for free on Plex. (TVLine)
• Hulu has a new comedy in the works, Mid-Century Modern, and Linda Lavin is among the cast members playing (not surprisingly) an overbearing mother. (Variety)
• The Simpsons is kicking off season 36 with a parody of an HBO hit series. (Deadline)
• Speaking of The Simpsons, some "exclusive to Disney+" specials were recently announced (in addition to some Hulu exclusives for Family Guy), and with Family Guy being relegated to midseason and this being the final year of a two year renewal for both series for Fox, some are wondering if these shows are facing a future that will completely remove Fox from the picture. (TVLine)
• The CW has very little scripted American produced entertainment these days, and now, the only one that they do have, The Librarians: The Next Chapter, has been delayed indefinitely. (Entertainment Weekly)
• Jimmy Kimmel sees a future where late night talk shows are no longer a thing, and perhaps a lot sooner than we'd expect. (Deadline)
• Comedy Central is adding Family Guy to their lineup in just a few weeks. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (AUGUST 17 - AUGUST 23)

• As we previously mentioned, The Drew Carey Show is now streaming on Plex, but they've also added Growing Pains as well.
• Catchy Comedy has a binge of That Girl this weekend.
• Dragnet arrives on FETV starting Monday.
• Season 2B of That '90s Show comes to Netflix on Thursday.

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

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Labels: Drew Carey Show, Family Guy, Mid-Century Modern, SitcomsOnline Digest, That Girl, The Librarians, The Simpsons