SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Raven's Home, a sitcom for kids and families that brings powerhouse star Raven-Symoné back to Disney Channel to reprise the role of Raven Baxter from the iconic comedy series That's So Raven, premieres Friday, July 21 at a special time of 10:00pm EDT, on Disney Channel, and will be available on the Disney Channel App, VOD and Disney Channel YouTube (12:01 a.m. EDT). The linear debut of Raven's Home will immediately follow the television premiere of the highly anticipated Descendants 2 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT. New episodes of Raven's Home will air Fridays at 8:30 pm EDT on Disney Channel, beginning July 28. To get fans ready and excited, all four seasons of That's So Raven will be available on-demand on the Disney Channel App and VOD Thursday, June 1.

Raven's castmate Anneliese van der Pol also reprises her role of free-spirited Chelsea in the new series, which finds the longtime best friends each divorced with kids of their own. The single moms come together to help raise their children - Raven's 11-year-old twins Booker and Nia, Chelsea's 9-year-old son Levi - in one chaotic, but fun household that often includes the twin's best friend and neighbor Tess. Raven still catches glimpses of the future, but she's not the only one in the family who does - Booker has the same ability. While Booker uses his newly found power to try and make sense of middle school and his new family life, Raven uses her power to help her be a better mom, a great fashion designer and an awesome friend. Hilarity ensues as Raven and Booker's visions collide, but no matter the situation, they figure everything out together as one big happy family.

Also starring are Issac Ryan Brown (black-ish, Miles from Tomorrowland) as overly confident but loveable Booker; Navia Robinson (Being Mary Jane) as independent, no-nonsense Nia; Jason Maybaum (Superstore) as savvy, wise-beyond-his-years Levi; and Sky Katz (America's Got Talent) as Booker and Nia's gutsy best friend and neighbor Tess.

The highly anticipated musical episode of Once Upon a Time aired last night and now next week it is time for the two-hour finale. But before that, ABC is giving us a special. Once Upon a Time: The Final Battle Begins - Join the talented cast and executive producers as they identify some of their favorite moments over the past six seasons, as well as take a look back at their characters' journeys. They will discuss what the show has meant to them personally and to the millions of fans who made Once Upon a Time a hit show on ABC. Additionally in this special, "Oncers" get to ask the cast and producers their most burning questions about the series. Take a look back at the origins, the love and romance, and all the adventures along that way that fans have cherished these past six seasons on Sunday, May 14 (7:00-8:00 p.m. EDT). Afterwards, stay tuned for the epic two-hour season finale, as the final battle has arrived, on Once Upon a Time, (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network.

There's still no word on a seventh season, but odds are that there will be one. There could be some sort of "reset" button, but that is still not certain. Once Upon a Time stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina Mills, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O'Donoghue as Hook, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills, Rebecca Mader as the Wicked Witch/Zelena and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.

The ABC Television Network has issued early pick-up orders for the following series for the 2016/2017 season: America's Funniest Home Videos, The Bachelor, black-ish, Dancing with the Stars, Fresh Off the Boat, The Goldbergs, Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Middle, Modern Family, Once Upon a Time, Scandal, Shark Tank and freshman drama Quantico. ABC has not announced a decision yet on veterans Castle, Nashville and Last Man Standing, but it is likely a few or even all three will return in 2016-17. Quantico was the only current freshman series to get an early pick-up, so no word yet on series like Dr. Ken, Galavant, Agent Carter, American Crime and The Muppets. Stay tuned in the coming months when ABC announces its 2016-17 line-up during the upfront in May.


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 March 7-11, 2016, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!


Saturday, March 5, 2016

• John O'Hurley (Seinfeld/The Mullets) - John will be featured on Oprah: Where Are They Now? at 10pm ET/PT on OWN.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

• Kim Fields (The Facts of Life/Living Single) - Catch Kim on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Michael Rapaport (The War at Home) - Michael is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.

Monday, March 7, 2016

• Will Arnett (Flaked/Arrested Development/Up All Night/Running Wilde) - Watch Will on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He will also be on the AOL Build Show at 11am.
• Max Greenfield (New Girl/Modern Men) - Max visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Fred Savage (The Grinder/Working/The Wonder Years) - Fred is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS. She will also be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jillian Bell (Workaholics/Eastbound & Down/Partners) - Jillian stops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) - Ilana and Abbi are guests on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm.
• Sally Field (Gidget/The Flyning Nun) - Sally talks about Hello, My Name Is Doris on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Miriam Shor (Younger/Big Day/Inside Schwartz) - Miriam drops by The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Steve talks about Little Big Shots on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 9am hour. He also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Laura Prepon (That '70s Show/Are You There, Chelsea?) - Laura cooks up two dishes from her new cookbook on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Emily Osment and Aimee Carrero (Young & Hungry) - Emily and Aimee talk with Rachael Ray about her star turn on their show on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Martha Plimpton (The Real O'Neals/Raising Hope) - Martha talks about The Real O'Neals on the AOL Build Show at 2pm.
• Malcolm-Jamal Warner (The Cosby Show/Malcolm & Eddie) - Malcolm-Jamal is a guest on The Real, so check your local listings.
• Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Jason appears on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Kym Whitley (Young & Hungry/Animal Practice/Sparks) - Kym is part of the Plugged-In panel on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Chris Meloni (Surivivng Jack/The Fanelli Boys) - Chris previews WGN America's Underground on HuffPost Live at 4pm.
• Tamela Mann (Mann & Wife/Meet the Browns) - Tamela is a guest on Tavis Smiley on PBS, so check your local listings.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke appears on People Now.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

• Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Catch Ray on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• J.B. Smoove (The Millers/Curb Your Enthusiasm/'Til Death) - J.B. appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Jay Duplass (Togetherness/The League/The Mindy Project) - Jay and his brother Mark are guests on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory/Blossom) - Mayim appears on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric visits The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore at 11:30pm on Comedy Central. He also joins HuffPost Live at 1pm for a small dose of comedy and to chat about his newest tour, The Comedy Get Down.
• Paul F. Tompkins (DAG) - Paul is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kim Richards (Hello, Larry) - Kim stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Tina appears on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo. She also talks about Whiskey Tango Foxtrot on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Will Arnett (Flaked/Arrested Development/Up All Night/Running Wilde) - Will talks about Netflix's Flaked on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Hilary Duff (Younger/Lizzie McGuire) and Sutton Foster (Younger) - Hilary and Sutton are guests on The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Sophia Bush (Partners) - Sophia stops by HuffPost Live at 2pm on International Women's Day to champion female empowerment worldwide.
• Sally Field (Gidget/The Flying Nun) and Max Greenfield (New Girl/Modern Men) - Sally and Max talk about Hello, My Name Is Doris on NBC's Today in the 10am hour. Sally will also be on the AOL Build Show at 4:30pm.
• Jerrod Carmichael (The Carmichael Show) - Jerrod appears on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Jason is a guest on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Nathan Lane (Modern Family/Encore! Encore!/Charlie Lawrence) - Nathan chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Martha Plimpton (The Real O'Neals/Raising Hope) - Martha is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• The Cast of Fuller House - The Fuller House girls have a confess sesh on People Now.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

• Louis C.K. (Louie) - Watch Louis on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Connie Britton (Spin City/The Fighting Fitzgeralds/Lost at Home) - Connie appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Sally Field (Gidget/The Flying Nun) - Sally is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jerrod Carmichael (The Carmichael Show) - Jerrod stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jason Sudeikis (The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Jason is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Martin Short (Mulaney/The Martin Short Show) - Martin appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Will Arnett (Flaked/Arrested Development/Up All Night/Running Wilde) - Will visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Ron Funches (Undateable) - Ron is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Tom Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) - Tom appears on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Chris Meloni (Surivivng Jack/The Fanelli Boys) - Chris stops by LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings. He also dishes about WGN America's Underground on People Now and on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Felicity Huffman (Sports Night) - Felicity is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement/Reno 911) - Wendi visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Jeff appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• John Goodman (Roseanne/Normal, Ohio) - John talks about 10 Cloverfield Lane and Trumbo on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• The Cast of Girls - The cast of Girls talks about the last time they splurged on People Now.
• Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

• Connie Britton (Spin City/The Fighting Fitzgeralds/Lost at Home) - Catch Connie on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS. She will also be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Jason stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Sally Field (Gidget/The Flying Nun) and Max Greenfield (New Girl/Modern Men) - Sally and Max are guests on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Louie Anderson (Baskets/The Louie Show/Life with Louie) - Louie appears on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Kirstie Alley (Flaked/Kirstie/Veronica's Closet/Cheers) - Kirstie talks about her Netflix comedy Flaked on The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Tori Spelling (Mystery Girls) - Tori talks about Tori & Dean's Spring Picnic on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Arsenio Hall (Arsenio) - Arsenio talks about The Bet Honors on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Wendell Pierce (The Odd Couple/The Michael J. Fox Show/The Weber Show) - Wendell is a guest on Tavis Smiley on PBS, so check your local listings.
• The Cast of Girls - The cast of Girls will be on People Now.
• Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) - Soleil appears on People Now at 8:30am.

Friday, March 11, 2016

• Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Watch Jason on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Betty appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Amanda Peet (Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda visits on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Ellen Burstyn (The Ellen Burstyn Show) - Ellen talks about House of Cards on NBC's Today in the 9am hour and on HuffPost Live at 1pm.
• Martha Plimpton (The Real O'Neals/Raising Hope) - Martha gives the scoop on her new show The Real O'Neals on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke discusses the release of her first single Enemiez on the AOL Build Show at 12pm.
• Tori Spelling (Mystery Girls) - Tori gives People Now the details on joining David Tutera’s WE tv show CELEBrations.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. 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!

Yesterday was ABC's turn at the TCA summer 2014 press tour. The biggest announcement were the fall 2014 premiere dates. But first, we had panels for ABC Family's Chasing Life, followed by ABC's upcoming new series like How to Get Away with Murder, Selfie, black-ish, Forever, Manhattan Love Story and Cristela. Onto the fall 2014 premiere dates, new drama Forever will be kicking off premiere week with two new episodes, with a special sneak preview on Monday, September 22 at 10 after Dancing with the Stars, and a second, all-new episode on Tuesday, September 23 at 10, for its regular time period premiere. Dancing with the Stars will premiere a week before the official start of the TV season, on Monday, Sept. 15 from 8-10pm. In addition, there will be two special nights of Dancing with the Stars Results Show this season, airing on Tuesday, September 16 and Tuesday, September 23, from 8:00-9:00pm. Elsewhere, on Tuesday, September 23 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres its season at a new time of 9pm. ABC Comedy Wednesday returns on Wednesday, September 24 with The Middle at 8, The Goldbergs on its new night & time at 8:30, TV's most honored comedy Modern Family at 9, and the series premiere of black-ish starring Anthony Anderson at 9:30. And of course the night ends with the third season launch of Nashville at 10.

On Thursday, September 25, it's an all Shonda Rhimes Night (Thank God It's Thursday!) with the new timeslot launch of Grey's Anatomy at 8, Scandal anchoring the night at 9 and the series premiere of the Viola Davis drama How to Get Away With Murder at 10. On Friday, September 26, the new season of Shark Tank launches with a two-hour premiere from 8-10 into 20/20 at 10. ABC's powerful Sunday drama line-up starts on Sunday, September 28 with the season premieres of Once Upon a Time, Resurrection and Revenge from 8-11pm. Post premiere week premieres include Castle on Monday, September 29 at 10. Two new comedies launch on Tuesday, September 30 at 8:00 & 8:30pm: Selfie and Manhattan Love Story. Then on Friday, October 3 at 8:00pm we have the one-hour season premiere of Last Man Standing starring Tim Allen from 8-9pm into the regular timeslot premiere of Shark Tank at 9. On Sunday, October 5, an all-new season of America's Funniest Home Videos begins at 7pm (likely a Once Upon a Time special is airing in week one on Sept. 28). And finally, the third Friday of the season on Friday, October 10 sees the launch of new sitcom Cristela at 8:30pm.

The women of TV Land's Hot in Cleveland are officially animated! Melanie Moretti (Valerie Bertinelli), Joy Scroggs (Jane Leeves), Victoria Chase (Wendie Malick) and Elka Ostrovsky (Betty White) have come to life in cartoon form with the help of animation studio Titmouse, Inc. – and they're bringing along Steven Tyler. Tyler will guest star in the episode as himself, serving as a guide through their magical, animated adventure. "The Animated Episode," the first-ever for TV Land, is set to air Wednesday, July 30 at 10pm ET/PT. The episode starts with the women at Elka's apartment, which before now has been a mystery to them...and they soon find out why. From there, they will meet up with Steven Tyler (and some other special friends) and go on a psychedelic romp through pop culture hits, including scenes with homages to Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, The Walking Dead and Frankenstein. Plus, they'll also see what life in Cleveland would have been like if LeBron James had never left (check out the sneak peek).

Welcome back, welcome back! Beginning Monday, April 14, 2014, Welcome Back, Kotter will be added to the MeTV Network lineup. Welcome Back, Kotter, the 1970s American television series which stars Gabe Kaplan and features a young John Travolta will replace F Troop and will air Monday-Thursday at 9:30pm ET. F Troop will take a brief hiatus, but will return to the MeTV schedule soon. As for Welcome Back, Kotter, the sitcom has not aired on television regularly since it was on AmericanLife TV (now known as YooToo TV) some years back and also on ION Television in 2006-07. WGN America aired the sitcom as part of a '70s week back in 2008. So get ready to watch all four classic seasons with all of your favorite Sweathog kids! Barbarino, Horshack, Boom Boom, Juan and of course Mr. Kotter himself. Tune in starting April 14 on MeTV. Stay with us for continued updates.

ABC has announced the majority of its season finale dates for the 2013-14 Season. First up, on Friday, April 11 at 8:30pm, the season finale of The Neighbors will air with mini-Full House reunion, as DJ Tanner and Steve reunite. Then on Thursday, April 17 the juicy Scandal season finale will air at 10pm. ABC's Friday comedy anchor Last Man Standing will have its season finale of April 25 at 8pm. On Sunday, May 4 the thrilling finale of the new hit Resurrection will air at 9pm. The following Sunday (May 11) will have the spellbinding two-hour season finale of Once Upon a Time leading into the Revenge finale at 10. The next night will have the sixth season finale of Castle at 10pm with Castle and Beckett on the case. ABC's Tuesday line-up will have their finales on Tuesday, May 13 with Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. at 8, The Goldbergs at 9 and the hilarious Trophy Wife at 9:30. On Wednesday, May 14 the season finale of Suburgatory will air at 8:30pm and then later that night its the sophomore finale of Nashville at 10. On Thursday, May 15 at 9, the tenth finale of Grey's Anatomy will air.

Moving on to Friday, May 16, Shark Tank will have its season finale, while America's Funniest Home Videos ends its season on Sunday, May 18 at 7 leading into the Billboard Music Awards. On Monday, May 19, ABC will have the performance finale of Dancing with the Stars leading into The Bachelorette premiere. Then on the next night, Tuesday, May 20 it is the two-hour finale of Dancing with the Stars from 9-11pm as a champion is crowned. And finally on the last day of the TV season, Wednesday, May 21, The Middle will have a one-hour season finale leading into the season finales of Modern Family and Mixology from 9-10pm. ABC has not announced anything for Mind Games or Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, but the latter will end its run on April 3. Stay with us for continued updates.

Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got two reviews, with both Once Upon a Time - The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray) and Perry Mason - Season 9, Volume 2. Let's get going!

DIGITAL NEWS

The big news this week comes from CBS, as they've announced three major complete series sets of classic series on DVD. On November 5, the studio will release the complete series of three series that they've already released individual seasons of (but these new releases will come in new streamlined packaging, and in some cases, include new special features). For fans of sitcoms, there is Family Ties - The Complete Series. Fans of high school drama will be glad to see Beverly Hills, 90210 - The Complete Series. Finally, the classic series Hawaii Five-O comes to DVD with Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Series. We have to be a bit careful for that last one, though... it isn't really the complete series, because it is still missing the second season episode "Bored, She Hung Herself" (which has not been seen in the United States since it originally aired). As usual, these will all include special features that were not included on the original releases, so there are sure to be some complaints! Nonetheless, it is great to see complete series sets.

Meanwhile, Warner Archive has another release coming on Tuesday that is sure to be good news for fans of a classic family comedy-drama series, as they release Eight is Enough - The Complete Fourth Season. As usual, the set will be released as two volumes in one, and it doesn't appear that there will be an option to buy just one of the volumes (but it probably isn't necessary anyway).


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (August 13) is a busier than usual day for releases. For sitcoms, Universal has The Mindy Project - Season One and CBS has Family Ties - The Seventh and Final Season. We'll have a review of the latter by the end of the weekend. Also, ABC has Once Upon a Time - The Complete Second Season (DVD/Blu-ray), and CBS wraps up Perry Mason with Perry Mason - Season 9, Volume 2. We have reviews of Once Upon a Time and Perry Mason in today's Digital Digest.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW



Blog Blu-ray Review: Once Upon a Time - The Complete Second Season (ABC Studios, $79.99)
by Pavan

The magic is back! Relive the complete second season of ABC's Once Upon A Time now on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, the hit series that boasts unforgettable characters and a tangled web of romance, action and enchantment. The curse is broken, magic has arrived, and there's no telling what – or who – will be unleashed! Now the exiled fairy tale characters must grapple with a flood of awakened memories as they come to grips with their new "reality." Old loyalties will be tested, new heroes will emerge, and vengeful villains will wreak havoc. Amidst the backdrop of previously unexplored lands and a newly magical Storybrooke, love and sacrifice will set the stage for the ultimate battle between good and evil. From Storybrooke to Fairy Tale Land and beyond, experience all the mystery, romance, action and adventure of the second season of Once Upon a Time, featuring all 22 remarkable episodes and exclusive bonus features, this must-own, five-disc boxed set is pure enchantment on an epic scale. This review will cover the Blu-ray disc version.

Once Upon a Time stars stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O'Donoghue as Hook, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills, Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood/Ruby and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold. Recurring stars are Michael Raymond-James as Baelfire/Neal Cassidy, Barbara Hershey as Cora/Queen of Hearts, David Anders as Dr. Whale, Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie Hopper, Jamie Chung as Mulan, Sarah Bolger as Princess Aurora, Ethan Embry as Owen Flynn/Greg Mendell, Eion Bailey as Pinocchio/August Wayne Booth, Beverly Mitchell as Granny, Tony Amendola as Geppetto/Marco, Lee Arenberg as Grumpy/Leroy, Sonequa Martin-Green as Tamara, Alan Dale as King George and Sebastian Stan as The Mad Hatter/Jefferson.

We think the second season is superb and action-packed. The series continues to be a Sunday staple at 8pm on ABC. The writers of Lost has brought this series to us and this is the only show that has even come close to that show since that series ended. Jennifer Morrison is great and beautiful while Ginnifer Goodwin and Lana Parrilla are superb and have great chemistry. The addition of Emilie de Ravin is excellent as well as Colin O'Donoghue. We wish the Emmy's would have recognized this show, especially Robert Carlyle. Every episode has to be seen in order, but I will try to pick the most memorable episodes. WARNING: Don't read the descriptions if you have yet to start the second season! In the season premiere, "Broken," the people of Storybrooke realize who they really are... and set out to confront Regina, who they believe is responsible, while in the fairytale world, Prince Phillip and Mulan rescue Aurora from her sleeping curse, but a mysterious wraith stalks Phillip and he may be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. In "The Crocodile," in the real world, Belle decides to leave Gold when she realizes that he isn't being honest with her, however someone else from her past threatens her future, while in the fairytale world, Rumplestiltskin discovers that his wife Milah isn't dead as he believed and goes to confront the pirate captain that took her. In "Tallahassee," Mary Margaret and Hook scale the beanstalk to recover the compass from the Giant, but as she climbs, Emma remembers the one time that she fell in love and was abandoned... unaware of the whole story of what happened.

In "Queen of the Hearts," while David lies in a coma, Gold and Regina plan to make sure that no one comes to Storybrooke through the portal, while Emma and Mary Margaret race Cora and Hook to the portal, and in the land that was, Regina makes a startling revelation to her mother. In "The Cricket Game," Regina tries to show the people of Storybrooke that she has changed, but things go awry when she's accused of murder and in the fairytale world, Snow and James must decide what to do with the Evil Queen. In "Tiny," Hook takes David and Mary Margaret to his ship and reveals Cora's secret weapon: Anton the Giant and when they free him, he mistakes David for James, the man who betrayed him in the Enchanted Forest, and goes on a rampage, while Emma takes Henry and Gold out of Storybrooke, and in the fairy tale world, Anton has his first encounter with humans... including one named Jack. In the next episode "Manhattan," in New York, Emma confronts Gold's son Bae, only to discover that he is her ex-lover, Neal, while in Storybrooke, Hook helps Cora and Regina locate Rumplestiltskin's dagger and in the fairytale world, Rumplestiltskin goes off to war and receives a cryptic warning from a blind seer. In "Welcome to Storybrooke," Gold is forced to intervene when Regina comes up with a way to get revenge on Mary Margaret and bring Henry back into her life, meanwhile 28 years ago, Regina wakes up in Storybrooke, the town created by her curse, but soon discovers two outsiders that could pose a threat to her plans. In "The Evil Queen," Regina comes up with a plan to use a failsafe built into her curse to destroy Storybrooke and its residents while she and Henry escape to the Enchanted Forest, when Henry rejects her, Regina turns to Hook... who has allies of his own, meanwhile in the fairytale world, Regina has Rumpelstiltskin disguise her as a peasant so that she can find the renegade Snow and kill her. On the thrilling season finale, "And Straight On 'Til Morning," while Regina tries to delay the end of Storybrooke after Greg and Tamara set off the failsafe, David and Hook race to get the magic beans and create a portal so the townspeople can evacuate, while decades ago in Neverland, Hook takes Bae under his wing and must decide whether to give him up to the Lost Ones or not.

The episodes on this set are all unedited, obviously, with the episodes at 43 minutes. Here are the runtimes for this set:

Disc 1
1. "Broken" - 43:02
2. "We Are Both" - 43:02
3. "Lady of the Lake" - 43:03
4. "The Crocodile" - 43:01
5. "The Doctor" - 43:04

Disc 2
6. "Tallahassee" - 43:01
7. "Child of the Moon" - 43:03
8. "Into the Deep" - 43:04
9. "Queen of Hearts" - 42:56
10. "The Cricket Game" - 43:03

Disc 3
11. "The Outsider" - 43:02
12. "In The Name of the Brother" - 42:58
13. "Tiny" - 43:02
14. "Manhattan" - 43:02

Disc 4
15. "The Queen is Dead" - 43:03
16. "The Miller's Daughter" - 43:01
17. "Welcome to Storybrooke" - 43:03
18. "Selfless, Brave and True" - 43:03

Disc 5
19. "Lacey" - 43:04
20. "The Evil Queen" - 43:03
21. "Second Star to the Right" - 42:53
22. "And Straight On 'Til Morning" - 43:04

Let's now move on to the packaging for this Blu-ray set! We have a thin outer box holding the Blu-ray case. The cover art for both has the Once Upon a Time logo in the middle with head shots of Hook, Evil Queen, Rumpelstiltskin, Emma, Snow White and Prince Charming on top, while below the logo we have a shot of Emma from her backside looking on to the dark sky that is coming to Storybrooke. There is a mention of The Complete Second Season right above the series logo. The cover of the outer box is actually a hologram, so if you move it a little, the Emma looking on shot turns into Hook's ship. Very cool. The back of both the outer box and case has three episodic photos and a nice gallery photo of Red Riding Hood, Belle and Henry. We also have info on the series and set as well, with a bonus features box. The color scheme is purple. Inside the Blu-ray case we go, there is no insert booklet this time on the left showcasing other ABC TV DVDs. Oh well, not a big deal. As far as the discs itself go, disc one is on a little plastic holder that you can flip like a page in a book. Disc two is on the back of that little plastic holder. Discs three and four are the same way in a second little plastic holder, while disc five is on the right panel itself. All similar to the previous set. All five discs are in a dark blue color with the series logo and showscases our beloved characters. Disc one has episodes 1-5 and we have artwork of Henry & Emma. Disc two has 6-10 and we see artwork of The Evil Queen. Disc three has episodes 11-14 and we have artwork of Snow White and Prince Charming. Disc four has episodes 15-18 and we have artwork of Rumpelstiltskin. And disc five has episodes 19-22 and we artwork of Hook. As for the panels, we have nice cast photo that extends onto both panels itself. There is also a disc-by-disc breakdown below the cast photo on the panels listing episode titles per disc.

The menu screen is very cool and great like season one's menu. Blu-ray menus are so much different I think, and they are better than regular DVDs. Background music from the show is playing in the background, as we have artwork of the woods in dark blue (similar to the title card on the series). Each disc has a different item in the woods (Hook's ship, a beanstalk, a dog, a jeep and the clock tower). We have options for Episodes, Bonus Features, Set Up, Season Play and Sneak Peeks. When we select Episodes, on Blu-ray there are no sub-menus, so a pop-up box pops up and you choose the episode with the titles listed. Bonus Features options pops-up all the extras on that disc, including the deleted scenes. The Set Up pop-up has the option for Languages and Subtitles, with audio in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio or English 2.0 Dolby Digital and subtitles in English, Thai, Chinese, Espanol, Portuguese, and French. Season Play is very cool, it is a feature exclusive to the Blu-ray Disc releases. This feature allows you to never have a problem keeping track of where you are (which episode, disc, time stamp) on the season of the show. This feature prevents you from getting lost as to which episode you were on when trying to come back and continue watching an entire season of a show. VERY cool! Sneak Peaks is just on disc five for The Lone Ranger, Peter Pan, Mulan andMarvel's Avengers Initiative . Disc one has auto trailers for Revenge Season 2 DVD, Castle Season 5 DVD, ABC TV on DVD and The Little Mermaid Blu-ray.

The video is great, as it should be in full HD (1080p widescreen)! This is the Blu-ray version so it is flawless. Everyone should own a Blu-ray player as the video quality is just superb and you feel like you are right inside the show. I have watched all 22 episodes on ABC in HD and it looks even better in Blu-ray! The audio is very good in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. That is the best you can get so you know it will be clear and crisp. Each episode has 8 chapter stops. We also hear the closing theme, as on ABC there are next week's promos playing over the credits. There is not much else to say, and that's a good thing!

As for special features, we have a WHOLE lot here. Each disc has special features once again. We have audio commentary on each disc. There is a warning that lets us know these should be viewed after you watch each episode, because the commentaries contain spoilers. On disc one, we have audio commentary for the season premiere "Broken" from series stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas. They even have great chemistry while doing an audio commentary. They are such a perfect couple. On disc two, we have audio commentary for the episode "Queen of Hearts" co-creators/executive producers Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and star Lana Parrilla! On disc three we have audio commentary for the episode "Manhattan" from Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and star Robert Carlyle! Even being under the weather, Robert is a class act. On disc four, we have audio commentary for the episode "The Miller's Daughter," from writer Jane Espenson. But wait, there's more! We have another episode with audio commentary on disc four, "Welcome to Storybrooke" from writers Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss. And the final audio commentary is on disc five for the season finale "And Straight On 'Til Morning" from co-executive producer David H. Goodman and star Colin O'Donoghue! So we have six episodes with audio commentary (up from the five we had on season one) and these six are really great classic episodes!

The rest of the bonus features are on disc five. The first one is exclusive to Blu-ray, titled "A Fractured Family Tree" (7:08) narrated by ABC's Modern Family star Sarah Hyland (Hayley!). We explore the tangled magical genealogy behind the series' fairytale family and interviewed are Josh Dallas, Jared Gilmore, Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Michael Raymond-James, Lana Parrilla, and Robert Carlyle. This was REALLY well done Sarah is really fun to listen to. It's only for Blu-ray! Next up we have "Good Morning Storybrooke" (12:08) this is a Good Morning America style series but in Storybrooke. GMA? No it's GMS! You'll see your favorite Once characters even appear like Belle, Red Riding Hood and Dr. Whale! Then next we have "Sincerely, Hook" (5:22) where we set sail with Colin O'Donoghue (Killian Jones/Captain Hook) and learn more about the man behind the hook! Then next up we have "Girl Power" (13:04) where we enjoy a high impact look at Storybrooke's fearless females as they fight for love and justice between the realms of magic and reality. Interviewed are Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parrilla, Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz (co-creators), Andrew Chambliss (producer), Jane Espenson (consulting producer), Josh Dallas, Christine Boylan (producer), Jennifer Morrison, Jared Gilmore, Dave Hospes (stunt coordinator), Michael Raymond-James, Emilie de Ravin, Robert Carlyle, Jamie Chung, and Keegan Connor Tracy.

We aren't done yet! We have "Fairest Bloopers Of Them All" (3:12), which are of course often hilarious outtakes fans won't want to miss. We get a minute more worth of bloopers this season, too! And finally we have deleted scenes. It isn't many as say Revenge has, but still good stuff! The deleted scenes are around 10 1/2 minutes or so. We have eight deleted scenes, which is just off of the nine we got from the first season's set. Great to see stuff that didn't make the show!

I highly do recommend this Blu-ray set for any Once fan or even any fair tale fan. It is such an interesting take on those classic fairy tale characters we all know and love. The show makes you think, and I love that. This is really a great show and I hope you all buy this Blu-ray disc (or even the DVD). There are many special features that will keep you glued for many more hours than just the 22 episodes. The quality of Blu-ray sets is just superb and this one is among the best of this year again. We don't have as many special features as the first season set, but it is still jam-packed with many extras. If you haven't started this season or need to catch-up, this is the perfect time to do so before the new season premieres Sunday, Sept. 29 at 8/7c on ABC. Catch up now! If you're still on the fence then you are crazy. You'll be hooked (no pun intended) I'm sure. Be prepared to be spellbound because magic is coming to Storybrooke in season two but there is no magic needed to order this set by clicking on the links below!

(5/5 stars)

To purchase Once Upon a Time - The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

To purchase Once Upon a Time - The Complete Second Season on DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Once Upon a Time on TV.com 


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
 


Blog DVD Review: Perry Mason - Season 9, Volume 2 (CBS, $45.98)
by skees53

Perry Mason is about to rest his case once and for all in Perry Mason - Season 9, Volume 2. It has been a long journey of nine seasons (and eighteen DVD releases!) since the first volume of the first season was released in July 2006, but CBS made it their priority to get all 271 episodes of the classic series on DVD, and now we have them all! For those unfamiliar with the series, it follows defense attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) as he takes on some of the biggest cases out there, where somebody has been murdered and it seems to be a foregone conclusion that the wrongly accused defendant will be convicted... but that won't happen with Mason by their side!

The second half of the season begins with "The Case of the Midnight Howler," where Perry becomes a witness in a murder case where he believes the accused is innocent. Perry must decide if a woman is a grieving widow or a wronged wife capable of murder in "The Case of the Vanishing Victim." A pro golfer is found dead in "The Case of the Golfer's Gambit." In "The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise." the police zero in on one of Perry's clients in their effort to find a cop killer. A fishing trip is interrupted when the wife of Perry's client is found dead in "The Case of the Scarlet Scandal." The series goes to color (for one episode, at least) in "The Case of the Twice Told Twist." In "The Case of the Avenging Angel," an aspiring British pop star is accused of killing his promoter. A jeweler is caught with the body of a jewel thief in his trunk in "The Case of Tasrina's Tiara."

Two women switch identities (and die) in "The Case of the Fanciful Frail." In "The Case of the Unwelcome Well," a foreman is the prime suspect when a greedy oil man is killed. Perry is on the hunt for a killer who looks exactly like him after losing a case in "The Case of the Dead Ringer." In "The Case of the Misguided Model," a model (Mary Ann Mobley) is at the center of a murder case. Perry has to determine if a new head of a crime commission has gone above the law in "The Case of the Positive Negative." In "The Case of the Crafty Kidnapper," a gossip columnist turns up dead, and his assistant is accused. The volume (as well as season AND series) ends with "The Case of the Final Fade-Out," where an egotistical TV star has a fatal final act. Dick Clark guest stars.

As usual, it seems that the episodes are unedited, with runtimes as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "The Case of the Midnight Howler" (51:58)
2. "The Case of the Vanishing Victim" (51:53)
3. "The Case of the Golfer's Gambit" (51:55)
4. "The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise" (51:55)

Disc 2:
5. "The Case of the Scarlet Scandal" (51:58)
6. "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist" (51:46)
7. "The Case of the Avenging Angel" (51:57)
8. "The Case of Tsarina's Tiara" (51:56)

Disc 3:
9. "The Case of the Fanciful Frail" (51:57)
10. "The Case of the Unwelcome Well" (51:55)
11. "The Case of the Dead Ringer" (51:58)
12. "The Case of the Misguided Model" (51:56)

Disc 4:
13. "The Case of the Positive Negative" (51:56)
14. "The Case of the Crafty Kidnapper" (51:54)
15. "The Case of the Final Fade-Out" (51:57)

The set comes in a standard Viva case, as most of the releases of this series have. The cover has (what else?) a large photo of Perry, and on the back, there are some episode snapshots and a brief description of the season. Inside, you'll find the four discs, and a listing of episodes, along with descriptions and airdates.

The menus on the set are nothing too fancy, and are just like previous sets. There is a large photo of Perry, along with a list of episodes, a Play All option, and a Subtitles option. There are no special effects or anything on the menus. Once you select an episode, it plays right away, with chapters placed all throughout each episode.

As was the case with the previous 17 volumes, the video and audio quality is nothing short of spectacular. Everything looks great in the glorious black and white (except for the color episode, of course, which looks great in color), and the audio is perfectly loud and clear. Each episode has English subtitles.

The special features have been the biggest letdown on these volumes of this series. There is one small one on this set, but it was a carryover from the 50th anniversary release. Basically, it is just an introduction to the episode "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist" (0:35), where Barbara Hale explains why the episode is in color. It isn't anything major.

I never would have imagined that this series would make it onto DVD from beginning to end given how many episodes there were, but it did happen after all. It is very rare to see that level of commitment for any series on DVD. The best part is that a lot of care and effort was put into bringing fans the best quality episodes possible. I don't recall ever seeing any problems with any of these DVDs (aside from the fact that special features were pretty much nonexistent). Now that we've finished the regular series, perhaps CBS can move forward releasing the 30 made-for-TV movies that aired between 1985 and 1995. Granted, they weren't as good as the original series, but I'd like to see the "complete" Perry Mason nonetheless. Fans of the series are going to want to pick this up, and if you've never seen the series, you can catch some (not all) of the episodes in syndication and perhaps you too will want to own this set.

(4/5 stars)

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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Perry Mason on TV.com


FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Adrienne Barbeau (Facebook/Twitter/Blog), "you can tell this is my official page (adrienne barbeau, actress & author) because i'm the only one who knows my sons' soccer team name."
Claim to Fame: Barbeau had one of the most interest starts in her road to fame, as a go-go dancer who worked for the mob in New York City (seriously), but it wasn't long before she began to get roles on Broadway, and for TV fans, was cast as Maude's daughter Carol in the series Maude. She has also guest-starred in many series, including Kojak, Grey's Anatomy, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Dexter, and Revenge, among others.
Why You Should Follow Her: Barbeau is sort of like one of those unsung actresses out there. We all recognize her, but (unless you're a fan of Maude), you don't stop to think too much about her. But the reality is that she is still actively working (in some of TV's biggest hits), and she even has two sixteen year old twins sons (she jokes that she was the only one in the maternity ward who also had an AARP membership when she gave birth to them at age 51). She seems to be really in touch with her fans, and who knows? Maybe the "biggest thing" in her career has yet to happen.
Pick of the Facebook Posts: "I was watching my boys play varsity soccer yesterday at Mar Vista Park in Santa Monica when a twenty-something young man came up and asked me if I was the actress who’d played Mrs. Neidermeyer on an episode of The Wayans Brothers. My jaw dropped." (March 5, 2013)

That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!

Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we have double reviews, with our reviews of Revenge - The Complete First Season and Once Upon a Time - The Complete First Season (Blu-ray). Also, we're going to say farewell to our Click of the Week feature this week (don't worry, we've already got a replacement ready to go next week!) by looking back at some of the best websites we've featured as Click of the Week since it began last year. Let's get going!