SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Today, we've got news about a marathon that will break all marathon records, an opportunity for you to become a sitcom legend at NBC (maybe), Fox MOD releases, and news of a possible Welcome Back, Kotter DVD release. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Fox announced several DVD releases this week that would be exclusives to Amazon.com. The most notable of these releases is the Tim Allen sitcom Last Man Standing and NBC's one-season series The New Normal, both of which have not seen any DVD releases. On May 13, fans will see both seasons 1 and 2. The same day will also see releases for American Dad - Volume 9 and Bob's Burgers - The Complete 3rd Season. It is expected that all of these will be MOD releases.
• Warner has slowly been warming up to the idea of licensing series out, but did they license Welcome Back, Kotter to Shout! Factory for them to release? There was a complete series listing that briefly appeared on Amazon.com last weekend that suggests that. 
• Shout! Factory will, for certain, be releasing Newhart - The Complete Fourth Season on August 19. The release will put the series just past halfway to completion.
• Shout! will also be releasing the TV Land series The Soul Man on DVD for the very first time on July 8, with their release of The Soul Man - The Complete First Season.

RECENT REVIEWS ON SITCOMSONLINE.COM

 

• Here's Lucy - The Complete Series: MPI collects every episode of this series in this collection, along with one of the nicest collections of special features ever featured in a DVD release.

APRIL 15 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• Anger Management - Volume 3 (DVD, $34.98; Blu-ray, $34.97): Charlie Sheen is "winning" again with another release of his FX series on DVD.
• The Beverly Hillbillies - The Official Fourth Season (DVD, $29.98): The Clampetts return to DVD on this set (which was available as a Walmart exclusive for months), the very first DVD release featuring color episodes of the series.
• Petticoat Junction - The Official Third Season (DVD, $29.98): Another release of a DVD that was previously a Walmart exclusive, and also the very first DVD release featuring color episodes of the series.

Who to Follow: Keshia Knight Pulliam (Twitter), "The OFFICIAL twitter of KESHIA KNIGHT PULLIAM"

Claim to Fame: We're continuing with our Cosby Show theme this week with another star of the classic series. Of course, Keshia Knight Pulliam played the youngest member of the Huxtable family, the five-year old (at least at the beginning) Rudy Huxtable. As it turns out, though, the series is 30 years old this year, which means that she is now 35 years old, very much an adult. She didn't leave the entertainment industry following that series, though. In recent years, she has appeared on the Tyler Perry series House of Payne in a regular role, and has also appeared in several movies.

Pick of the Tweets: "Thank u for everyone who came out to support us at Pie Face!!! It was such a success & we raised soooo much money for charity!!!" (March 25, 2014)

How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) - Wednesdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by skees53

Polly (Sarah Chalke) is a single mom who has recently divorced. The transition hasn't been easy for her, especially in this economy. So, like a lot of young people living in this new reality, she and her daughter, Natalie (Rachel Eggleston), have moved back home with her eccentric parents, Elaine (two time Golden Globe® and Emmy® nominee Elizabeth Perkins) and Max (three time Emmy® winner Brad Garrett). But Polly and her parents look at life through different generational lenses. Polly (in contrast to how she was raised) aspires to be organized and together, while Max and Elaine live a more free-flowing, improvisational life-style. Polly wants to take it slow with new relationships, while her parents encourage her to be more sexually adventurous. Polly's co-worker and close friend, Jenn (Stephanie Hunt), also encourages her to jump right back into the dating world. Polly and her parents' views on parenting itself also conflict: Polly wants to be an involved modern parent, but Max and Elaine are laid back, hands-off parents from the 1970s. Polly believes children need to be sheltered and have structure and guidance, while Max and Elaine feel that children need the freedom to fall and pick themselves back up. After all, Polly turned out okay, so what's the big deal?

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but in Polly's case, this village is on fire, and although her ex-husband Julian's (Jon Dore) intentions are good, he doesn't exactly help extinguish the flames. But through figuring out how to live with her dysfunctional family, Polly realizes she might even be able to learn a few helpful things about herself.

Cast Details:

Sarah Chalke as Polly
Elizabeth Perkins as Elaine
Jon Dore as Julian
Rachel Eggleston as Natalie
Stephanie Hunt as Jenn
Brad Garrett as Max

Sarah Chalke (Polly) is best known for her role as Dr. Elliot Reid on the Emmy Award-winning ABC series Scrubs. The single-camera series was hailed as ground-breaking, as it deftly combined black humor and surreal interludes without diminishing the seriousness of life in a hospital. A native of Ottawa, Canada, she was raised in Vancouver and began appearing in local musical theatre productions when she was eight. A few years later she became an environmental reporter for the Canadian series Kid Zone. Her big break came in 1993 when she was cast as daughter Becky Conner on the ABC series Roseanne. Chalke recently starred on the CBS comedy Mad Love, opposite Jason Biggs and Judy Greer. She had a recurring role as Stella Zinmann on the Emmy Award-winning comedy series How I Met Your Mother and a guest arc on ABC's Cougar Town, teaming up again with her former Scrubs creator/writer, Bill Lawrence.

Elizabeth Perkins (Elaine) has been lucky enough to have a rather "eclectic" career, but perhaps her best known role was that of Celia Hodes on Weeds, which earned her 2006 and 2007 Golden Globe® nominations and 2006 and 2007 Emmy® nominations for Best Supporting Actress. She made her film debut in Ed Zwick's About Last Night..., but her breakthrough performance came in the Tom Hanks movie Big. Additionally, Perkins was (on the big screen, at least) married to Fred Flintstone as she played the role of Wilma Flintstone in the movie adaptation of The Flintstones.

Conclusion:


Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

ABC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) Photo Gallery

Preview:

On the next...The New Normal:
By: Vincent NBC's Tuesday freshman comedy produced by Ryan Murphy airs Tuesday nights at 9:30pm and we have just watched the two-episode season finale that airs tonight (April 2). In the first episode airing tonight, "Finding Name-O," Bryan (Andrew Rannells) and David (Justin Bartha) are facing the hardest decision of their relationship, what to name their baby. The conflict prompts Goldie (Georgia King) to reveal the origin of Shania's (Bebe Wood) name leading to brief identity crises for both of them. Later, While breezing through their wedding planning, David suggests that Bryan invite his mother Colleen (guest star Mary Kay Place), but her added opinion leads to more conflict and an unusual resolution. Meanwhile, Clay (Jayson Blair) decides it's time to let Goldie know how he feels, after receiving some unsolicited advice from Brice (guest star John Stamos). In the season finale, "The Big Day," the wedding is finally here and despite all of the challenges that pop up throughout the day, Bryan (Andrew Rannells) and David (Justin Bartha) are dead set on getting married before the arrival of their baby, but their son has other plans.

The New Normal's 2-episode finale deals with the long-awaited wedding of Bryan and David. The first airing, "Finding Name-O," centers around David convincing Bryan to invite his mother to the wedding, and the show nicely hits a lot of dramatic beats about the troubled relationship between the two. The broken bond between Bryan and his mother is believable and well-played by Andrew Rannells and guest star Mary Kay Place. The episode also does an interesting job of exploring the conflict between Bryan and David's relationship as they continuously argue over what to name their soon-to-be-born son. The episode's biggest problem is that it's light on laughs - the show hasn't quite found its comic rhythm and just isn't much of a laugh-out-loud comedy, which is a bit disappointing since the cast is very funny and talented. However, some good character work and solid acting makes this an enjoyable enough episode and a good set-up for the big wedding finale.



Unfortunately, the big wedding itself (in "The Big Day") is a bit of a disappointment. For a show that claims to be all about breaking tradition, the wedding episode sticks to just about every "sitcom wedding" cliche in the book, making the finale far too predictable. The wedding also feels very rushed - the show crams an awful lot of plot into just a half-hour, so much that I have to wonder why they didn't make the actual wedding a two-part episode. The show's ratings have dropped considerably this spring, so the episode works very hard to tie up every loose end in case the show doesn't get a second season. While that's understandable, it makes the ending to the season's various storylines feel abrupt and unsatisfying, making for a disappointing season (and possibly series) finale. First episode: B-, Second episode: C

TV Land announced that the ladies of Hot in Cleveland will soon be getting some special visitors in town as Mary Tyler Moore, Valerie Harper and Cloris Leachman reunite with their co-star of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Betty White and recurring star Georgie Engel. In the episode, Elka (Betty White) and Mamie Sue (Georgia Engel) decide to get their bowling team back together, aptly named GLOB: the Gorgeous Ladies of Bowling. The team, which includes Elka, Mamie Sue, Diane (Moore), Peg (Leachman) and Angie (Harper), had a falling out decades ago after their championship season went to their heads. This is the first time in over 30 years (since 1977) that the five former female castmates will be reunited on the sitcom stage. Mary Tyler Moore previously appeared on Hot in Cleveland as Elka's cellmate in a season two episode, but this will be a different character. Gavin MacLeod and Ed Asner are the only ones missing in this reunion episode (though Asner guest starred last year on the sitcom). The Mary Tyler Moore Show reunion episode is taping in front of a live audience on Friday, April 5 at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City, CA and will also guest star Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family). It's going to be bittersweet with Valerie Harper going through terminal brain cancer. It's so great they will reunite one last time. It is slated to air sometime in August, and we will let you know when exactly at a later date. As we all know, Hot in Cleveland returns for its remaining season four episodes with a LIVE (in the east) episode on Wednesday, June 19 at 10pm ET. The sitcom has 12 more episodes to air in season four.



In more Hot in Cleveland news, we are getting a season five as well! TV Land has renewed the sitcom for a fifth season and it will being it to a milestone mark. The 24-episode order brings the series to a total of 104 episodes, surpassing 100 episodes. This past January, CBS Television Distribution announced that it has sold Hot in Cleveland to TV stations in 92% of the United States for a September 2014 launch. Now these stations can expect at least 104 episodes to air five days a week beginning in Fall 2014. The fifth season will start taping this Fall and will likely start airing in early 2014 and be split up in two halves of 12 episodes again.



On the next...New Girl:
By: Todd

Fox's Tuesday adorkable sitcom starring Zooey Deschanel airs Tuesday nights at 9:00pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (March 26). We have special guest appearances by Emmy Award winner Margo Martindale and Nick Kroll. In the episode airing tonight, "Chicago," Jess (Zooey Deschanel), Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Winston (Lamorne Morris) accompany Nick (Jake Johnson) back to his hometown when his father suddenly dies. Once there, Jess realizes just how responsible Nick can be when she meets Nick's boisterous family members, including his mom, Bonnie (Martindale); his younger brother, Jamie (Kroll); and his cousin from Boston, Bobby (guest star Bill Burr). Meanwhile, Winston helps Schmidt get over his fear of death and Jess pulls out all the (musical) stops when she helps throw a wake fit for a king.

Jess brings in some balloons from a guy she bought in a van. Nick gets a call from his mom that his dad has died of a heart attack in Chicago. After inhaling helium, they try to console him with their changed voices. The gang travels to Nick's hometown of Chicago for the funeral. Nick's mom asks him to make the funeral plans. Nick's father wanted a funeral like Elvis had, complete with an Elvis impersonator. Nick is asked to write the eulogy for his father, but he is busy making other arrangements and asks Jess to write it. Meanwhile, Schmidt tells Winston that he can't go to the funeral because he is scared of death. Winston later pretends to be dead in a casket to help get over his fear. Jess talks to Jamie and Bobby to gather more information on Walt for the eulogy. Nick continues to make phone calls. He later brings back a drunk guy to appear as the Elvis impersonator. Bobby learns that a chain that Walt is wearing may be his father's and tries to reclaim it. After the Elvis impersonator passes out, it's up to Jess to step in and help out. Nick remembers his father with a heartfelt speech. Everybody later joins together and sings. That's how Walt would have wanted it. As the episode closes, we learn that Nick's brother has plans that may lead to another family gathering in the future.

Tonight's episode has a more serious tone than usual. It's a somber and emotional storyline, but they added just the right amount of comedy to lighten the mood. Dennis Farina had appeared as Nick's charming con artist father, Walt, in an earlier episode in January. We meet more of Nick's wild and crazy family in this episode. His mother, brother and cousin are expertly played by guest stars Margo Martindale (Emmy winner from Justified), Nick Kroll and Bill Burr. Nick's mother isn't the biggest fan of Jess at the start and is skeptical of Nick's relationship with her, but she eventually warms up and accepts her. The awkward exchanges between them are very funny. Kroll and Burr are hilarious as his younger brother and cousin. They have some good scenes with Jess and Schmidt. It's hard to imagine that Nick is the responsible and mature person of the family. Also appearing in the episode is 94-year-old Ellen Albertini Dow as Old Auntie Ruth. She has a couple of fun one-liners. Hopefully we see Nick's family again under better circumstances down the road. The main cast is given a chance to show more of their dramatic side in the episode. Other highlights include Schmidt trying to get over his fear of death, Jess' support of Nick and her singing, and Nick's heartfelt speech about his father. New Girl is wrapping up its sophomore season with a strong batch of episodes. B



On the next...The New Normal:
By: Todd

NBC's Tuesday freshman comedy produced by Ryan Murphy airs Tuesday nights at 9:30pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (March 26). John Stamos returns for another episode. In the episode airing tonight, "About A Boy Scout," despite Bryan's (Andrew Rannells) concerns, David (Justin Bartha), a former Eagle Scout, jumps at the chance to chaperone a Boy Scout overnight with his friend’s son. His skills earn him the respect of the other fathers and scouts, but when one father disagrees with his lifestyle, David's Boy Scout membership is revoked. Elsewhere, Rocky (NeNe Leakes) is helping Goldie (Georgia King) sort out her secret crush on Brice (guest star John Stamos).

David brings his friend's son, Danny, home after a hike in the canyon. He is an Eagle Scout for life and wants his son to one day be one, despite their stance excluding gays. David is offered the opportunity to chaperone a camping trip. Bryan later suggests that they have a scout meeting at their home. David introduces Bryan to the troop. Bryan later reads a letter that David's membership is revoked. David talks to the leaders to see who reported him, but nobody will tell him who contacted the organization. One of the fathers eventually admits to David that he was the one who called the office and tells him why he doesn't want David to be his role model because of his lifestyle. David thanks for him for his honesty. He later tells the troop he can't be their leader, but that he will continue to fight for change. In the secondary story, Rocky attends a Loveaholics meeting and talks to Brice. She also helps Goldie deal with her secret crush on Brice.



The New Normal hasn't been afraid to tackle many social issues in its rookie season. Tonight's storyline about the Boy Scouts and their ban on gay members and leaders has been in the news quite a bit lately. The show isn't preachy the way they present the topic. They provide both sides of the debate. When the father tells David why he reported him to the organization, David thanks him for his honesty and vows to continue to fight for change. It's an interesting and well presented episode, but there just aren't many laughs. There is more of a serious tone in this comedy. The secondary story of Rocky talking to Brice about Goldie is less interesting and just seems like filler. Ellen Barkin is noticeably absent from the episode. I'm not sure what happened to her this week. There are internet rumors that she was fired from the show. After a strong start that led to a full season renewal, the show has struggled in the ratings in recent weeks. They continue to set series lows. The show was already on the bubble, so the downward spiral can't be helping their chances. It's possible that next week's two episodes will be the end of the series. C

NBC has announced a lot of changes for spring. First up, Smash will be moving to Saturdays at 9PM beginning April 6 through May 18. Smash's last Tuesday at 10pm airing will be on April 2, so there are three Tuesday airings left before it is delegated to Saturdays for its remaining seven episodes. NBC will be finishing up its Tuesday comedies in April as scheduled, but with The New Normal actually getting a two-episode finale from 9-10pm on April 2. It could be the last two episodes ever for this comedy. Meanwhile, Go On will air its final two episodes of the season on a special night and time on Thursdays, April 4 and 11, 2013 at 9:30pm, leading into new drama Hannibal at 10. NBC has not yet announced what will air at 9:30pm beginning April 18, but since it is only four weeks, NBC will likely air reruns of The Office. Don't forget the one-hour series finale of The Office is Thursday, May 16 at 9pm. Go On has two more Tuesdays at 9 airings left (March 19 and 26) before its two-week Thursday run. One more Thursday note, NBC will burn-off the remaining episodes of 1600 Penn quickly on March 21 and March 28 at a special time of 8:30pm and also its normal time of 9:30pm. Like The New Normal & Smash, this series has little chance of returning next season, but Go On has a 50/50 chance.

Replacing Smash essentially on Tuesdays will be new reality series Ready for Love, which will now air Tuesdays 9-11pm ET/PT beginning Tuesday, April 9 through Tuesday, May 28. The series was originally supposed to get a preview on Tuesday, March 26 and premiere on its normal night Sunday, March 31 from 8-10pm, but neither will now happen. Ready for Love will follow The Voice on Tuesdays, as that series will air in the Tuesdays at 8pm time period from March 26-June 11. The Voice also airs 8-10pm on Mondays from March 25-June 17. Onto Sundays, on March 31 and April 7 only, NBC will encore the previous week's Monday/Tuesday episodes of The Voice from 7-9pm ET/PT and 9-10pm ET/PT respectively into one-hour episodes of Celebrity Apprentice at 10. However, that series will now go back to two-hour episodes from April 14-May 19 from 9-11pm ET/PT following encores of The Voice from 7-9pm ET/PT. And onto Wednesdays, Whitney will now end a week earlier on Wednesday, March 27 with a two-episode season finale from 8-9pm. It was originally supposed to end its season on April 3, but now NBC will air Dateline in the hour beginning April 3 and not the planned move of Betty White's Off Their Rockers, as previously announced.

View a complete list of NBC spring changes in a list form. And stay with us for continued updates.



On the next...Parks & Recreation:
By: Skees

NBC's Thursday night comedy starring Amy Poehler airs Thursday nights at 8:30pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (March 14). In the episode airing tonight, "Bailout," Leslie (Amy Poehler) tries to help a local video store stay in business after the owner (guest star Jason Schwartzman) is hit by the bad economy. Chris (Rob Lowe) tries to give Tom (Aziz Ansari) some fatherly advice in dealing with a difficult employee (guest star Jenny Slate), while Ann (Rashida Jones) blackmails April (Aubrey Plaza) into being her friend.

In "Bailout," Pawnee's only independent video store is about to go the way of Blockbuster… gone. Leslie is determined to use her power on the city council to save this treasure at any cost, and in a battle against the Pawnee libertarians (who consider her actions to be a "bailout"), successfully manages to get the store declared a Pawnee landmark. Unfortunately, Leslie's hopes and dreams for the landmark are a bit crushed when she finds out that the store would rather use landmark status to become a porn video store (in opposition of her hopes that they'd rent films like Finding Nemo). Meanwhile, Jean-Ralphio's sister (guest star Jenny Slate) has come to take a job at Rent-a-Swag, but she is really making Tom's life absolutely miserable. And that isn't all: Ann is using every means possible to blackmail April into being her friend.


This is another great episode of the NBC Thursday night sitcom, which has slowly become my favorite sitcom on TV. This is the series at its best: Leslie trying to do good for the city (even if it really isn't a huge thing) and facing opposition from Ron Swanson and other libertarians… and as often happens, it doesn't work out so well for Leslie, even if she does like to look at the positive side. One of the best scenes happens to be during the city council meeting… if you follow sitcom star views on politics at all, you'll notice that one of those speaking in opposition of the landmark status says something that is almost identical to a statement made by Craig T. Nelson. The subplot of the episode about Tom dealing with Mona Lisa (Slate) was a little lacking in the sense that there wasn't a whole lot of development, but I really did like the Mona Lisa character and her relationship with Tom, and hope that we get to see more of her in future episode. A-

The Paley Center for Media announced the full lineup of special guest panelists scheduled to appear for the upcoming 30th annual ultimate TV fan festival, PaleyFest: The William S. Paley Television Festival, which takes place at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, March 1-15, 2013. And many sitcoms will be a part of this! The annual celebration of great television will honor members of the Casts and Creative Teams of The Walking Dead, which will serve as the opening night presentation for PaleyFest, Revolution, Once Upon A Time, The Newsroom, Community, whose cast will present a live table read at their unprecedented fourth appearance at the festival; The New Normal, Parenthood, The Mindy Project, Nashville, Arrow, Dallas, New Girl, The Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls, and American Horror Story: Asylum, which will close out the 15-day Festival.

PaleyFest (The William S. Paley Television Festival) is a cavalcade of interactive panel sessions and premiere screenings that connects the worldwide community of television fans and industry insiders alike with the casts and creators of their favorite TV series, and the icons that are changing the face of media. Over the past thirty years, PaleyFest has become a destination event for the worldwide community of television fans who gather each year to connect with the talent, from the stars to the creative teams of the shows, during interactive panel sessions and premiere screenings.
Hulu will expand its relationship with the Festival as the Premier Sponsor for PaleyFest 2013 and will stream full-length panel content and short form clips, exclusively on-demand from each PaleyFest panel on the free ad-supported Hulu, and the Hulu Plus subscription service at www.hulu.com. If you want to go in person, tickets can be purchased at the festival's official website www.paleyfest.org and via its ticket provider www.ticketweb.com.

Here are the sitcom dates: Tuesday, March 5: Community (7:00 pm) Moderator: Michael Schneider, LA Bureau Chief, TV Guide Magazine; Wednesday, March 6: The New Normal (7:00 pm) Moderator: TBA; Friday, March 8: The Mindy Project (7:00 pm) Moderator: Rob Moynihan, LA Correspondent, TV Guide Magazine; Monday, March 11: New Girl (7:00 pm) Moderator: TBA; Wednesday, March 13: The Big Bang Theory (7:00 pm) Moderator: TBA; and Thursday, March 14: 2 Broke Girls (7:00 pm) Moderator: TBA.

We leave you today with some sad news. Paul Ainsley, best known to sitcom fans for playing Jim the Bartender on the hit sitcom Three's Company, has passed away. Paul had a multi-season guest role on the series from seasons 1-5, playing the main bartender at the Regal Beagle, before being replaced by Brad Blaisdell (who played Mike the Bartender) for the rest of the series' run. He was also a fixture in the theater world. He created the role of King Herod in the original Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Paul passed away on January 19 in Los Angeles from heart-related complications. He was 67.

Among his other guest appearances on TV series were Wings, Babylon 5, and Weird Science. His other select theater career highlights include: originating Thenardier in the first national company of Les Miserables; essaying Mr. Darling/Captain Hook to Cathy Rigby's Peter Pan; succeeding Barry Bostwick and Jim Belushi as the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance and playing Herbie to Karen Morrow's Rose in Gypsy. Back in 2007, Paul spoke to our friend Eric of JustMyShow.com for an episode of his popular podcast. Another one of our friends, Chris Mann, mentioned there was a memorial for Paul Ainsley on Feb. 3 and Joyce DeWitt wrote a very nice note for the Ainsley family. Paul will be deeply missed, especially fans of Three's Company and the theater community.

NBC has picked up three of its new fall series - the adventure-drama Revolution and the comedies Go On and The New Normal -- for full-season commitments for the rest of the 2012-13 season. While we are only in week two of the new season, all three of these series started earlier on NBC and are already a few weeks in (three for Revolution and five for the comedies). All three will at least get the back nine now, for a total of 22 episodes each. More episodes could be ordered still, so stay tuned. In Go On, Matthew Perry (Friends, Mr. Sunshine) stars as Ryan King, a recent widower and sports talk radio host ready to get back to work after the loss of his wife... but Ryan's alpha-male boss, Steven (John Cho), has a different plan in store for Ryan, making him attend grief counseling before returning to the air. Lauren Graham (NBC's Parenthood) will guest-star in an upcoming episode of Go On as Ryan King's old college friend and his former radio talk show co-host. An airdate for Graham's episode will be announced later. Multiple Emmy Award winner Bob Costas from NBC Sports and Chris Bosh from the NBA's world champion Miami Heat also will appear as themselves in additional episodes.

On The New Normal, these days, families come in all forms - single dads, double moms, sperm donors, egg donors, one-night-stand donors... It's 2012 and anything goes. Bryan (Andrew Rannells) and David (Justin Bartha) are a Los Angeles couple and they have it all. Well, almost. With successful careers and a committed, loving partnership, there is one thing that this couple is missing: a baby. And just when they think the stars will never align, enter Goldie (Georgia King), an extraordinary young woman with a checkered past. A midwestern waitress and single mother looking to escape her dead-end life and small-minded grandmother (Emmy and Tony Award winner Ellen Barkin), Goldie decides to change everything and move to L.A. with her precocious eight year-old daughter. Desperate and broke - but also fertile - Goldie quickly becomes the guys' surrogate and quite possibly the girl of their dreams. Surrogate mother, surrogate family. And finally on Revolution, what would you do without it all? In this epic adventure from J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and Supernatural's Eric Kripke, a family struggles to reunite in an American landscape where every single piece of technology -- computers, planes, cars, phones, even lights -- has mysteriously blacked out forever. A drama with sweeping scope and intimate focus, Revolution is also about family -- both the family you're born into and the family you choose. This is a swashbuckling journey of hope and rebirth seen through the eyes of one strong-willed young woman, Charlie Matheson (Tracy Spiridakos), and her brother Danny (Graham Rogers). When Danny is kidnapped by militia leaders for a darker purpose, Charlie must reconnect with her estranged uncle, Miles (Billy Burke), a former U.S. Marine living a reclusive life. Together, with a rogue band of survivors, they set out to rescue Danny, overthrow the militia, and ultimately re-establish the United States of America. All the while, they explore the enduring mystery of why the power failed, and if -- or how -- it will ever return.

Finally, in case you missed it last week when we broke on Twitter, the men from the new sitcom Guys with Kids performed a "History of TV Theme Songs" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Why? TV sitcoms don't have theme songs these days so Fallon made sure Guys with Kids had one and he himself sings the theme song! Fallon of course also is the executive producer of the sitcom. As a tribute to some of the great TV theme songs of all-time, they decided to sing them! From The Jeffersons, to All in the Family to Three's Company to Cheers and to even Sanford & Son, we see Jimmy Fallon, Anthony Anderson, Jesse Bradford and Zach Cregger sing these classic tunes. Watch the full clip below!
Guys with Kids airs Wednesdays on NBC and comes from the aforementioned Emmy winner and executive producer Jimmy Fallon. It's about three thirty-something dads trying to hold on to their youth, while holding onto their new babies' hands. Easy, right? Thankfully, Chris (Jesse Bradford), Nick (Zach Cregger) and Gary (Anthony Anderson) have each other to help navigate their survival as new dads, while still trying desperately to remain dudes. Balancing work or staying at home, painfully married or happily divorced, they know that taking care of the little ones while maintaining a social life is a daily challenge. Whether it's hosing the little squirt down in the kitchen sink or hitting the bar strapped with a baby björn, these guys are on a roller-coaster adventure - parenting like you (and they) have never seen before. Also starring are Jamie Lynn Sigler and Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show). There is one thing missing from this medley the cast performed...The Cosby Show. I could imagine Fallon or Anderson acting like Cosby. Anyway, watch the video below as this sitcom is currently struggling in the ratings and its future is up in the air to get a full season. Stay with us if we get any news on its fate.

The New Normal - Tuesdays 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Sneak Peek Monday, September 10, 2012 at 10:00PM ET/PT and
Premieres Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 9:30PM ET/PT

These days, families come in all forms - single dads, double moms, sperm donors, egg donors, one-night-stand donors... It's 2012 and anything goes. Bryan (Andrew Rannells, Girls, The Book of Mormon) and David (Justin Bartha, The Hangover) are a Los Angeles couple, and they have it all. Well, almost. With successful careers and a committed, loving partnership, there is one thing that this couple is missing: a baby. And just when they think the stars will never align, enter Goldie (Georgia King, One Day), an extraordinary young woman with a checkered past. A Midwestern waitress and single mother looking to escape her dead-end life and small-minded grandmother (Emmy and Tony Award-winner Ellen Barkin), Goldie decides to change everything and move to L.A. with her precocious eight-year-old daughter. Desperate and broke - but also fertile - Goldie quickly becomes the guys' surrogate and quite possibly the girl of their dreams. Surrogate mother, surrogate family.

Ryan Murphy serves as creator/executive producer and director along with creator/executive producer Ali Adler (Glee, Chuck) and executive producer Dante Di Loreto (Glee, American Horror Story).

The New Normal is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan Murphy Productions.

Cast Details:

• Justin Bartha as David Murray
• Andrew Rannells as Bryan Collins
• Georgia King as Goldie Clemmons
• Bebe Wood as Shania Clemmons
• Ellen Barkin as Jane Forrest
• NeNe Leakes as Rocky
• Jayson Blair as Clay Clemmons

Justin Bartha (David) was recently seen in The Hangover Part II, the sequel to the 2009 blockbuster that became the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time. He also starred in the Todd Solondz independent film Dark Horse with Selma Blair, Mia Farrow and Christopher Walken, which premiered in competition at Venice and Toronto. In the indie drama Holy Rollers, Bartha starred with Jesse Eisenberg. The film, loosely based on the true story of Hasidic Jewish drug dealers in the late '90s, premiered in competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and went on to garner its director the Breakthrough Award at the Gotham Film Festival and the Most Promising Newcomer Award at Deauville.

Bartha is also known for his portrayal of Riley Poole, partner to Nicolas Cage's character, Ben Gates, in the world-wide successes National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Beyond the groundbreaking comedy The Hangover, Bartha's credits include New York, I Love You, the American version of Paris, Je T'aime, and Failure to Launch with Matthew McConaughey.

Andrew Rannells (Bryan) is best known for his breakout role as Elder Price in Broadway's smash hit musical The Book of Mormon, which was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park fame along with Robert Lopez of Avenue Q. The Book of Mormon received nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, and on the Tony Awards telecast, Rannells brought down the house with his performance of I Believe. For his work in The Book of Mormon, Rannells received nominations from Tony Awards, Drama Desk and the Drama League. He also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album for the cast recording of The Book of Mormon. Variety called his performance in The Book of Mormon "the brightest of a uniformly fine cast," and Entertainment Weekly noted Rannells as "a breakout star." Currently, Rannells can be seen on HBO's new series Girls, from producers Lena Dunham and Judd Apatow, and he will make his big screen debut later this year in Leslye Headland's Bachelorette.

Named Screen International's "Star of Tomorrow," Georgia King (Goldie) has recently completed filming Austenland, a romantic drama based on the beloved novel by Shannon Hale. Directed by Jerusha Hess (co-writer of Napoleon Dynamite) and produced by Stephenie Meyer (The Twilight Saga), the film stars King as Lady Amelia Heartwright, alongside JJ Feild, Keri Russell and Jennifer Coolidge. King has also completed the role of Emma in Matthias Hoene's Cockneys vs Zombies, opposite Harry Treadaway. In 2011, King starred in One Day, as Suki, girlfriend to Jim Sturgess' Dexter. She was also featured in the hugely successful Chalet Girl alongside Ed Westwick and Felicity Jones. King was singled out for her performance in Tanner Hall, in which she starred with Rooney Mara. Her other film credits include The Duchess, Wild Child and Burke and Hare..

King's British television credits are also extensive. She has most recently completed filming Sky's new action adventure Sinbad and new multi-cam sitcom Felix and Murdo opposite Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller. She was also featured in the BAFTA-winning Little Dorrit, Merlin, Off the Hook, Jane Eyre, Shadow in the North (all for BBC), Plus One and Free Agents (both for Channel 4), Poirot and The History of Mr. Polly (ITV).

Bebe Wood (Shania) guest starred as Catherine, the sarcastic carbon copy of Liz Lemon, on NBC's hit TV series 30 Rock, and later made an appearance on Veep. Born, raised and home-schooled in Kansas City, Wood became an avid theater enthusiast at a young age. Her acting career began onstage, kicking off with her Children's Chorus performance in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella at Kansas City's Starlight Theater. She has worked with Theatre for Young America, Music Theatre for Young People, and Heart of America Shakespeare Festival.

Ellen Barkin's (Jane) diverse body of work spans theater, film and television with roles ranging from abusive mothers to sultry femme fatales. Barkin has had an illustrious acting career comprised of over 50 films that include Sam Levinson's Sundance winner Another Happy Day, Cam Archer's Shit Year, Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 13, Todd Solondz' Palindromes, Antoine Fuqua's Brooklyn's Finest, This Boy's Life opposite Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, Spike Lee's She Hate Me, Tony Scott's The Fan opposite Robert De Niro, Walter Hill's Johnny Handsome and Wild Bill opposite Jeff Bridges, Sea of Love opposite Al Pacino, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Mike Newell's Into the West, Bob Rafelson's Man Trouble opposite Jack Nicholson, John Turturro's Mac, Jim McBride's The Big Easy opposite Dennis Quaid, Blake Edwards' Switch, Jim Jarmusch's Down by Law, Bruce Beresford's Tender Mercies opposite Robert Duvall and Sydney Lumet's Daniel. Her first film and breakout performance was in Barry Levinson's iconic film Diner.

As a New York native, NeNe Leakes (Rocky) is known for her no-nonsense attitude, which quickly made her the breakout star of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Leakes faced Donald Trump in the Boardroom in March 2011 as a contestant on the fourth season of NBC's Celebrity Apprentice. Her charity of choice for the competition was the Atlanta Union Mission in Support of My Sister's House, a shelter for women and children who experience domestic abuse. The reality media star earned titles such as People Magazine's Diva of the Season and Bravo's A-list Award for Fan Favorite. Leakes then transitioned from her reality success to scripted television. She made her acting debut as Coach Roz Washington, a recurring role on Glee. Later she guest starred on BET's comedies The Game and Let's Stay Together.

Pilot Episode:

"Pilot" (September 10, 10:00PM - encore broadcast on September 12 at 10:30PM) - With successful careers and a committed, loving partnership, Bryan and David are missing only one thing: a baby. Could Goldie be just the surrogate mother they’re searching for?
Directed by Ryan Murphy
Written by Ryan Murphy and Ali Adler
Guest Stars: Michael Hitchcock as Gary, Leslie Grossman as Melissa, Jayson Blair as Clay, Jessica Lu as Tabitha, Antoinette Abbamonte as Deaf Mom, Debbie Lee Carringon as Little Person Mom, Andrea Helene as Lady Buyer, Marieve Herington as Heather,Sara Ann Lassner as Sheryl, Kelly Mantle as Aubrey, Julie Meyer as Michelle, Ellen Ratner as 50-Year-Old Woman, Yolanda Snowball as Nurse, Michael Anthony Spady as Deaf Dad, Haley Strode as Waitress, John Vance as Juror, Algerita Wynn as Judge

Analysis:

The pilot opens with a scene of Bryan making a video to show how desperately they wanted a baby. He says the fairytale began in Ohio where we meet Goldie, Jane (Nana) and Shania. They talk about a lesbian couple they see on the street who have a baby. Goldie later walks in on her husband, Clay, in bed with another woman. Shania tells Nana in the car that she is a bigot and is unfriending her. Jane confronts Clay with a gun about what is happening. Goldie decides to drive off with Shania. David watches sports while Bryan tells him about seeing a baby at the mall. He brings home some baby clothes and tells him that he wants to have a baby. David and Bryan watch kids at a playground and talk more about the possibilites of having a baby. Parents of various sizes and backgrounds talk to the camera about having kids. David and Bryan meet with Gary at their house to talk about surrogate mothers. He asks them who wants to be the bio dad. They view online videos of various potential surrogates, including a surprise celebrity cameo. Shania talks to Goldie on the beach and asks her what her dreams were before they had her. Jane calls Goldie on the phone to ask her why she stole her car and left. Goldie tells her that they aren't coming home. David and Bryan interview Melissa, a potential surrogate, at a restuarant who tries to blackmail them. David and Bryan walk in a park with a puppy and receive a call from Gary from Expanding Families. Gary introduces them to Goldie who tells them she needs the $35,000 to change her daughter's life. David and Bryan say they both like Goldie and her daughter. Goldie has the embryos inplanted at Expanding Families. David tears up and wonders if he is ready to be a dad. Nana arrives and confronts Goldie. Rocky brings eggs and argues with Nana, who says this is not normal. Nana tells a story about Goldie's grandfather. The episode concludes with a scene of Goldie taking a pregnancy test.

The New Normal is a single-camera comedy. The pilot is fast paced. There are over 20 different scenes, which seems typical for most comedy pilots these days. The cinematography is generally well done, but I think the handheld and shaky shots aren't really needed. A lot of backstory is given, but it seems like they just tried to cram too much information into a 21-22 minute episode. I think the whole introduction and getting to know Goldie and her family could have been done over 2-3 episodes. The casting choices all seem to fit, but they seem to lack chemistry early on. That's something they can improve over time. I'm really only familiar with Justin Bartha and Ellen Barkin from their movie work, but the other actors do a good job portraying their characters. Georgia King is a young, pretty Scottish actress. She has the potential to be a big breakout star from this series. Bebe Wood is a talented young actress who plays a girl who is wise beyond her years. Ellen Barkin's character is like a modern day Archie Bunker. She has some funny lines, but I think a few of them cross the line and are too crude. Nene Leakes has only a few lines, but she makes the most of her limited screen time. Her character is very sassy. Jayson Blair plays Goldie's husband. He's only in a few scenes in the pilot, but he'll be a series regular. I would expect that we'll see more extended family members in future episodes. I like the music score. It's a bit quirky and upbeat. There's really only one song (Baby Love) used in the episode. The show could benefit by using more songs to enhance scenes.

Conclusion:

The pilot is well produced and has some nice moments, but it's not a show that I would watch on a weekly basis. The whole premise of the show just doesn't appeal to me. It would probably work better as a television movie rather than a weekly series. There's a nice mix of comedy and touching drama, but I prefer the non-stop laughs of a traditional multi-camera sitcom. It has more of a dramedy feel than a pure comedy. The promos tended to focus on more of the one-liners and comedy, but there's a lot of family drama here. Many people have compared the show to Modern Family. I thought the same thing after watching the promos over the summer, but I've changed my mind after viewing the pilot. The only thing the shows really have in common is a gay couple. While Cam and Mitch are only part of Modern Family, David and Bryan are the main couple here. My main complaint is that David and Bryan are just not very funny characters. Bryan is also kind of annoying and not very likable. They don't seem to have the chemistry of Cam and Mitch in the pilot at least. The pilot is so fast paced that it's hard to tell how much they really care for each other. It will be interesting how long the pregnancy will play out and when they will bring in the baby.

NBC airs the pilot tonight after the premiere of The Voice. It should receive some nice sampling after the hit reality series. There's also been quite a bit of controversy over the show, which should lead to more viewers tuning in for the curiosity factor. The Salt Lake City, Utah NBC affiliate is refusing to air it. Some may agree with their decision, but I believe people should be allowed to make their own choice on what to watch. A new episode will follow tomorrow on its regular day and time of 9:30pm. If you miss the pilot tonight, it will be broadcast again on Wednesday at 10:30pm. While the show didn't receive a sneak peek during the Olympics, NBC is giving it a lot of air time this week over three consecutive nights. Although I think many critics will love the show, I don't think it will be a big ratings hit. There just won't be widespread appeal for it. The competiton isn't really fierce on Tuesdays at 9:30pm. Go On should provide a good lead-in, so I would expect NBC will be patient with it and give it a full season. They have several sitcoms leaving after this season, so there will be some holes to fill on their fall schedule.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 3.0/5
Funniness: 2.5/5
Overall: 3.0/5

-- Reviewed by Todd Fuller on 09/10/12

Discuss the show after you watch it on Monday, September 10 on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

The New Normal Photo Gallery

Preview:

---

GSN has announced that the weekly line-up of talented celebrities who will join host Mike Richards in The Pyramid, a new original, primetime daily strip game show for the network. The Pyramid airs Mondays through Fridays at 6 pm ET and premiered last Monday (Sept. 3). A contemporary take on one of television's most beloved game shows, The Pyramid brings back the classic game show format (from the '70s and '80s with host Dick Clark): the celebrities, the Pyramid game board, the Winner's Circle - everything viewers know and love about the iconic format is returning in GSN's lively new version. In keeping with the classic format, each celebrity pair will appear for a full week (5 days). The Pyramid is hosted by producer and TV personality Mike Richards. Community stars Yvette Nicole Brown and Danny Pudi kicked off premiere week.
The excitement and fun continues in upcoming episodes with the following celebrities appearing: Chandra Wilson (Grey's Anatomy) and Jai Rodriguez (ABC's upcoming sitcom Malibu Country) this week; Megyn Price (Rules of Engagement) and Lamorne Morris (New Girl) appearing the week of Sept. 17; Kate Flannery (The Office) and Jim O'Heir (Parks and Recreation) appearing the week of Sept. 24; Joshua Malina (Scandal) and Wallace Langham (CSI) appearing week of Oct. 1; Melissa Peterman (Baby Daddy, Reba) and Samantha Harris (Stars Earn Stripes, Dancing with the Stars) appearing the week of Oct. 8; Oscar Nunez (The Office) and Dot Marie Jones (Glee) appearing week of Oct. 15; and Aida Turturro (The Sopranos) and Nick Turturro (Blue Bloods) appearing the week of Oct. 22.

NBC announced the premieres and sneak peeks of its new Fall 2012 primetime schedule that capitalize on the launch and promotional platforms provided by the network's coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, the finale of America's Got Talent and the return of The Voice and Sunday Night Football. Most of the new fall shows will premiere in advance of the start of the season.
The rollout of NBC's Fall 2012 season begins with commercial-free sneak previews of the new comedies Go On (Wednesday, August 8) after the evening's coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and Animal Practice on Sunday, August 12, following the Closing Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics. One day after the conclusion of the Olympics, NBC will debut the new competitive series Stars Earn Stripes with a special two-hour episode on Monday, August 13 (8-10 p.m. ET), followed on the same night with the advance season premiere of Grimm (10-11 p.m. ET). Stars Earn Stripes will only run though September 3, because...continuing NBC's launch strategy, The Voice returns on September 10 (8-10 p.m.), handing-off to encore sneak peeks of the premieres of Animal Practice (10-10:30 p.m. ET) and Go On (10:30-11 p.m. ET).
The NFL Kick-Off Special 2012 and first NFL game of the season is on Wednesday, September 5, followed by Football Night in America (7:00-8:15 p.m.) and Sunday Night Football's (8:15-11 p.m.) return in their regular timeslots on September 9 kick off a launch week that includes the September 11 time-period premiere of Go On (9-9:30 p.m.) followed by the series premiere of The New Normal (9:30-10 p.m.), a sneak peek of Guys With Kids on September 12 (10-10:30 p.m.) after the next to last episode of America's Got Talent, and the season premiere of Parenthood on September 11 (10-11 p.m.). To provide additional sampling, the new comedy The New Normal will re-broadcast its first episode on Thursday, September 13 (10-10:30 p.m. ET), following the season finale of America's Got Talent.
Among other new NBC series for fall, the drama Revolution premieres on Monday, September 17 (10-11 p.m. ET); and the drama Chicago Fire debuts on Wednesday, October 10 (10-11 p.m. ET), due to a Presidential Debate on October 3. Animal Practice will start in its regular day and time on Wednesday, September 26 (8-8:30 p.m. ET) followed by the time period premiere of Guys with Kids (8:30-9 p.m. ET). As for returning series not yet mentioned, Up All Night, The Office and Parks and Recreation return on Thursday, Sept. 20 from 8:30-10, as 30 Rock will not launch until Oct. 4. Law & Order: SVU will launch with a two-hour season premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 9-11pm, as the following week is a debate, as mentioned. Grimm has its regular night premiere on Friday, Sept. 14. And finally, Whitney and Community will not return until Friday, October 19 from 8-9pm.
View the FULL day-by-day schedule for NBC After the Olympics.


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of June 18-22, 2012, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, June 18, 2012

• Steve Carell (The Office) - Watch Steve on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World opens in theaters on June 22.
• Denis Leary (The Job) - Denis appears on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Niecy Nash (The Soul Man/The Cleveland Show/Reno 911!) - Niecy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Suzanne Somers (Three's Company/Step by Step/She's the Sheriff) - Suzanne joins The Revolution on ABC at 2pm ET/1pm PT/CT.
• Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric visits ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

• Steve Carell (The Office) - Catch Steve on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric visits Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC. He will also be on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on you local stations.
• Mark Feuerstein (Good Morning, Miami) - Mark is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
• Kate Flannery (The Office) - Kate appears on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Mila Kunis (That '70s Show) - Mila stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Game Night at 8pm on ABC.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Watch Alec on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Denis Leary (The Job) - Denis drops by Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Seinfeld) - Julia visits LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) - D.L. guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
• Jerry O'Connell (Carpoolers/My Secret Identiy) - Jerry is a guest on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Tahj Mowry (Baby Daddy/Smart Guy) - Tahj stops by The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

• Courteney Cox (Cougar Town/Friends) - Courteney chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She will also be on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve continues to make the rounds on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
• Beth Behrs (2 Broke Girls) - Beth appears on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Tracey Gold (Growing Pains) - Tracey discusses anorexia on Anderson, so check your local listings.

Friday, June 22, 2012

• Denis Leary (The Job) - Watch Denis on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Patricia Heaton (The Middle/Back to You/Everybody Loves Raymond) - Patricia chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Kevin Nealon (Weeds) - Kevin appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
• Noureen DeWulf (Anger Management) - Noureen dishes on her new FX sitcom, Anger Management, and reveals what it's like working with Charlie Sheen on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.

Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!