SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

From the hilarious minds of Paula Pell and John Lutz, Mapleworth Murders is a crime-solving series with lots of comedians, and of course, "Murder!" Coming to Quibi August 10. From the creative minds behind SNL and Late Night with Seth Meyers comes Mapleworth Murders, a hilarious whodunnit created by, written by and starring Paula Pell and John Lutz, and featuring a "who's who" of guest suspects and victims. It all leads to a bigger question: why the hell are there so many murderers in one town? Written by / Starring: Paula Pell and John Lutz. Supporting Roles: J.B. Smoove and Hayley Magnus. Cast includes: Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, D'Arcy Carden, Tim Meadows, Patton Oswalt, Jack McBrayer, Pam Murphy, Ben Warheit, Annie Mumolo, Ike Barinholtz, Marry Holland, James Anderson, and Drew Tarver. Guest Appearances: Wanda Sykes, Chris Parnell, Terry Crews, Nicole Byer, and Jimmy Carlson. Directed by Claire Scanlon. Executive Producers: Paula Pell, John Lutz, Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer, Seth Meyers, and Mike Shoemaker.

The CW has dropped Taskmaster after just one airing. The series was airing Sundays at 9pm, following fellow premiere of Fridgewars at 8pm. Reruns of Supernatural have been slotted in its place starting this Sunday (Aug 9) at 9. Taskmaster is an International Emmy and triple BAFTA nominated comedy game show starring comedian and actor Greg Davies in the title role of the all-powerful Taskmaster, who issues simple comedic and bizarre tasks to five regular contestants - usually comedians - with Alex Horne (the show creator) acting as the Taskmaster's assistant. The tasks - usually performed in isolation, but occasionally in teams - are designed to encourage the players to think laterally and creatively. Taskmaster is from Avalon with executive producers Alex Horne, Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, James Taylor, Jon Thoday and Andy Devonshire (who also serves as the series' director) with Hilary Rosen for UKTV. 

FXX has set the premiere date for the 11th season of Archer, the Emmy Award-winning animated comedy series. The eight-episode season will premiere Wednesday, September 16 with two new episodes airing back-to-back at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on FXX, and will be available the following day on FX on Hulu. News of the premiere date was shared with fans at the conclusion of the Archer panel during this year's virtual San Diego Comic-Con. Archer is an animated, half-hour comedy that follows Sterling Archer and his return to the spy world after a three-year coma. While many things changed during his absence, Archer is confident it will take just a little time for him to reset things back to the old ways. The problem: does the rest of the team want that? Everyone else has been doing pretty well and may not be ready for his return to throw a wrench in their well-oiled machine.

The series features the voices of H. Jon Benjamin as the newly awakened secret agent, "Sterling Archer;" Aisha Tyler as super spy, "Lana Kane;" Jessica Walter as Archer's mother and spymaster, "Malory Archer;" Judy Greer as the surprisingly well-adjusted assistant, "Cheryl/Carol Tunt;" Chris Parnell as the newly-minted alpha male, "Cyril Figgis;" Amber Nash as the lovable comrade in arms, "Pam Poovey;" Adam Reed as the consummate professional, "Ray Gillette;" and Lucky Yates as the unscrupulous scientist, "Algernop Krieger."

The Fugitive remake drops August 3 on Quibi. Kiefer Sutherland (24, Designated Survivor) and Boyd Holbrook (Narcos) star in this edge-of-your-seat crime thriller from the creator of Most Dangerous Game and co-executive producer of Prison Break, in which an innocent man on the run, desperate to clear his name, is chased through Los Angeles by the cop who will not rest until he is captured. Starring: Kiefer Sutherland and Boyd Holbrook, with Natalie Martinez (Secrets & Lies), Tiya Sircar, Brian Geraghty, Genesis Rodriguez (Time After Time), Glenn Howerton (A.P. Bio) and Keilani Arellanes also starring. See the first trailer above. The original series aired on ABC from September 1963 to August 1967. David Janssen starred as Dr. Richard Kimble, a physician who is wrongfully convicted of his wife's murder and sentenced to receive the death penalty.



Apple unveiled a first look at Ted Lasso, a new original comedy series from Jason Sudeikis and Bill Lawrence, that will premiere globally on Apple TV+, alongside a slate of acclaimed and award-winning original series and films, on Friday, August 14. Sudeikis plays Ted Lasso, a small-time college football coach from Kansas hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer. In addition to starring, Sudeikis serves as executive producer, alongside Lawrence (Scrubs) via his Doozer Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal Content. Doozer's Jeff Ingold also serves as an executive producer with Liza Katzer as co-executive producer. The series was developed by Sudeikis, Lawrence, Joe Kelly and Brendan Hunt, and is based on the pre-existing format and characters from NBC Sports.

Ted Lasso joins highly anticipated, soon-to-premiere Apple Original series including docuseries Dear... , from Emmy and Peabody Award winner R.J. Cutler; Little Voice, a fresh, intensely romantic tale from the award-winning team of J.J. Abrams, Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson; documentary film Dads from director Bryce Dallas Howard; Greatness Code, a new docuseries that spotlights untold stories from the greatest athletes in the world; as well as award-winning and hit original series now streaming on Apple TV+ including Defending Jacob, Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet, and the Golden Globe-nominated and Critics Choice and SAG Award-winning series The Morning Show; as well as Central Park from Emmy Award winner Loren Bouchard alongside Frozen Grammy winner Josh Gad and Emmy winner Nora Smith.

Quibi has picked up a second season of Dishmantled hosted by Tituss Burgess. Take two blindfolded chef contestants. Blast a dish into their face. Then make them recreate it for celebrity judges to win a cash prize. Did we mention it's hosted by Tituss Burgess? Each episode starts with the cannon-blasting of a mystery food dish into the faces of two blindfolded chefs. They'll use their culinary prowess to identify the exploded dish and then race against the clock to recreate it. Whichever chef comes closest to the original dish wins a cash prize. Guest judges for season one included: Dan Levy, Wolfgang Puck, Jane Krakowski, Antoni Porowski, Rachel Dratch, Roy Choi and more. 

ABC announced the network's latest summer programming covering May and June. After earning the title of summer's No. 1 network for the first time in 24 years in 2019, ABC will once again kick off "Summer Fun & Games" with the premieres of returning series Holey Moley II: The Sequel, To Tell the Truth, Celebrity Family Feud, Press Your Luck and Match Game. The network also announced the premiere date for the farewell season of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a new series from ABC News, The Genetic Detective.

Holey Moley, the 13-episode extreme mini-golf competition series, swings into season two as Holey Moley II: The Sequel on Thursday, May 21 at 9:00 p.m. EDT. Then beginning June 11, the series will shift its time slot to 8:00 p.m., when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire finishes its run in the 8:00pm timeslot (which begins April 30). Hosted by black-ish star Anthony Anderson, To Tell the Truth will debut its fifth season on Thursday, May 21 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. Additional celebrity panelists this season include Ashanti, Brad Garrett, Michael Strahan, Mark Duplass, Mike Tyson, Patti LaBelle, Rita Moreno, Yara Shahidi, and many more. Celebrity Family Feud, hosted by stand-up comedian, actor, author and Emmy(R) Award winner Steve Harvey, will be kicking off its sixth season on Sunday, May 31 at 8:00 p.m. EDT. This season's high-energy matchups include the casts of Queer Eye vs. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Jersey Shore vs. The Hills and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills vs. Andy Cohen, among others.

Press Your Luck, a game of wits and strategy hosted by Elizabeth Banks returns for its season two debut on Sunday, May 31 at 9:00 p.m. EDT. Golden Globe(R) and Emmy Award-winning actor Alec Baldwin is back and ready to BLANK when Match Game returns for season five this summer on Sunday, May 31 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. Upcoming celebrity panelists include Amy Sedaris, Angie Harmon, Bob Saget, Christie Brinkley, Fred Armisen, Jane Krakowski, Padma Lakshmi and Vivica A. Fox, From ABC Studios and Marvel Television, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D returns for its seventh and final season on Wednesday, May 27 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. Coulson and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are thrust backward in time and stranded in 1931 New York City. And finally, from ABC News comes The Genetic Detective debuting Tuesday, May 19 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. The all-new series follows investigative genetic genealogist CeCe Moore as she uses her unique research skills to transform the face of crime solving. Additional summer premiere dates and schedule information to be announced soon, including $100,000 Pyramid & Card Sharks (which have not shot any new episodes yet due to the pandemic).

Quibi has announced the development of Filthy Animals (working title), a 2d animated science fiction comedy series featuring Rashida Jones, written by acclaimed artists and twin brothers, Nikolai and Simon Haas; and produced by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios. Filthy Animals follows Sunny Day (Jones) as a too smart for her own good, lonely 12 year old suburban middle schooler who befriends a selfish, renegade, messy, suave adoptive cat, Cruz. 

Quibi announced the acquisition of This Joka, a sixteen episode stand-up comedy series hosted and executive produced by Will Smith. In This Joka, Smith invites a diverse lineup of up-and-coming, established, and legendary comedians to explore the nature of comedy and its unique ability to bring people together. Shot on location at Topgolf and other popular venues across Las Vegas, the series will showcase stand-up sets, as well as one-on-one conversations between Smith and the comedians, intimate interviews, and docu-style moments backstage and around the city. Featured Comics: Baron Vaughn, Megan Gailey, Punkie Johnson, Sean Patton, Rosebud Baker, Shane Torres, Clayton English, Christi Chiello, Vanessa Gonzalez, Martin Urbano, Sam Tallent, David Gborie, Jackie Fabulous, Chris Estraded, Rell Battle, Daphnique Springs. Special Appearances by: George Wallace, Demi Adejuyigbe, Shawn Wasabi. As a reminder, Quibi officially launches today (April 6, 2020).

The fifth and final season of NBC's Blindspot is being called upon to start earlier than planned due to this Coronavirus pandemic. It will premiere Thursday, April 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The show will move to its normal Thursdays at 9 p.m. timeslot the following week on May 7 following new episodes of new series Council of Dads at 8:00pm and leading into repeats of Law & Order: SVU at 10pm. The season begins in the aftermath of the explosion that left Jane watching as a drone strike on the safe house with the rest of the team inside. Questions to be answered include who made it out alive and whether the team will ever be able to clear their names in the wake of Madeline's rise to power. The cast includes Sullivan Stapleton, Jaimie Alexander, Rob Brown, Audrey Esparza, Ashley Johnson, Ennis Esmer and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. 

Quibi has given the greenlight to Fire Island comedy series Trip. Created by Joel Kim Booster and set on the iconic Fire Island, Trip is an unapologetic, modern day rom-com inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The story centers around two best friends who set out to have a legendary week-long summer vacation with the help of cheap rosé and a cadre of eclectic friends. Trip is written by Joel Kim Booster and produced by JAX Media. Joel Kim Booster is a Los Angeles-based stand-up and writer who stars in the Hulu sitcom Sunnyside. Other screen credits include Shrill (Hulu), BoJack Horseman, and Big Mouth (Netflix). He's written for Billy on the Street (truTV), Big Mouth (Netflix), and The Other Two (Comedy Central), and has appeared on Conan, Late Night with Seth Meyers & The Late Late Show with James Corden.

ABC has renewed Station 19 for a fourth season. The series is produced by ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios. To note, the season 17 pickup of Grey's Anatomy was previously announced in May 2019. Ranking as the No. 1 program in Thursday's 8:00 p.m. hour this season in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, ABC's Station 19" is growing its overall audience over its prior season (+9%) to deliver its most-watched season ever. In addition, after 35 days of delayed viewing on linear and digital platforms, Station 19 averages 13.5 million Total Viewers and a 3.71 rating in Adults 18-49 this season.

Station 19 follows a group of heroic Seattle firefighters as they put their lives and hearts on the line. The latest series from Shondaland and the executive producers of Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder takes us inside the tough, tight-knit and sometimes heartbreaking world of the city's bravest first responders. The series stars Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera, Jason George as Ben Warren, Boris Kodjoe as Captain Robert Sullivan, Grey Damon as Jack Gibson, Barrett Doss as Victoria Hughes, Jay Hayden as Travis Montgomery, Okieriete Onaodowan as Dean Miller, Danielle Savre as Maya Bishop and Miguel Sandoval as Captain Pruitt Herrera.

New Hulu comedy The Great premieres May 15 with 10 episodes. The Great is a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest reigning female ruler in Russia's history. Season One is a fictionalized, fun and anachronistic story of an idealistic, romantic young girl, who arrives in Russia for an arranged marriage to the mercurial Emperor Peter. Hoping for love and sunshine, she finds instead a dangerous, depraved, backward world that she resolves to change. All she has to do is kill her husband, beat the church, baffle the military and get the court onside. A very modern story about the past which encompasses the many roles she played over her lifetime as lover, teacher, ruler, friend, and fighter. The series stars Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Sebastian de Souza, Bayo Gbadamosi, Belinda Bromilow

Hulu comedy Ramy returns May 29 with 10 episodes. The Golden Globe(R) Award-winning actor Ramy Youssef returns to Hulu for his critically-acclaimed performance in the Hulu Original comedy series Ramy. The series follows first-generation, Egyptian-American Ramy Hassan (Youssef) who is on a spiritual journey in his politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. Ramy brings a new perspective to the screen as it explores the challenges of what it's like to be caught between a religious community who believes life is a moral test, and a millennial generation that doubts an afterlife even exists. In the second season, Ramy delves further into his spiritual journey, finding a new Muslim community and embracing a deeper commitment to his faith. The series stars Ramy Youssef, Mahershala Ali, Mohammed Amer, Hiam Abbass, Amr Waked, May Calamawy, Dave Merheje, Laith Nakli, Steve Way

Quibi unveiled that it will launch with 50 shows, including Survive, Most Dangerous Game, Thanks A Million, Chrissy's Court, Murder House Flip, Last Night's Late Night, The Replay by ESPN and more on April 6. As an added bonus, Quibi announced it would offer 90 day free trials for a limited time. To unlock the offer, viewers need to visit Quibi.com and sign-up before April 6. Launching on April 6, Quibi is the first entertainment platform designed specifically for your phone and will feature fresh, original content from Hollywood's biggest stars and creators. Quibi will release 175 original shows and 8,500 quick bites of content in the first year alone. Among the stars featured are Jennifer Lopez, Chrissy Teigen, Chance the Rapper, Kristen Bell, Liam Hemsworth, Sophie Turner, Lena Waithe, Nicole Richie, Reese Witherspoon, Will Forte, Eva Longoria and more.

Quibi will offer three categories of content:
1. Movies in Chapters: Big stories told in chapters that are 7 to 10 minutes in length.
2. Unscripted and Docs: This episodic category is food, fashion, travel, animals, cars, builds, music, sports, comedy, talk, variety, documentary and more. All with episodes in 10 minutes or less.
3. Daily Essentials: Curated daily into 5-6 minute quick bites of news, entertainment and inspiration. Quibi's Daily Essentials will quickly give viewers everything they need to know - and why it matters.

Quibi - which is short for "quick bites" - is built for easy, on-the-go mobile viewing with new episodes of movie-quality shows delivered daily in episodes of 10 minutes or less. The Quibi app is now available for pre-order. Quibi will cost $4.99 with ads and $7.99 without ads. 

Raising the comedy stakes, the second season of the hybrid family sitcom/improvisation series Just Roll With It is set to premiere Sunday, March 15 (8:45 p.m. EDT/PDT), on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW. Comedian J.C. Currais becomes a series regular cast member, in the fan-favorite role of Gator, and John Ratzenberger (Disney/Pixar's Toy Story, Cheers) guest stars in a recurring role as Blair's grandfather. The season also includes "wild" animals, real-life wedding vows with legal matrimony as part of a storyline and feats of epic proportions. The studio audience votes for wacky scenarios that the cast must improvise their way through during the show taping. Additional season two guest stars include Charles Shaughnessy (The Magicians, The Nanny), Johnny Pemberton (Superstore), Jason Earles (Disney's Hannah Montana), Debra Wilson (MADtv), Jillian Shea Spaeder (Disney's Walk the Prank) and Kingston Foster (Disney's ZOMBIES).

Just Roll With It follows the newly blended Bennett-Blatt family as they navigate everyday family life and the ups and downs of adolescence. The series stars Tobie Windham and Suzi Barrett as fun-loving newlyweds and parents, Byron and Rachel; talented young actors Ramon Reed and Kaylin Hayman as preteen step-siblings, Owen and Blair; and J.C. Currais as The Gator. In the season two premiere, the Bennett-Blatt family is finally rescued from the sea only to discover Rachel's mischievous and somewhat unpredictable dad (Ratzenberger) - who relishes in being a doting but unruly Grandpa - has been kicked out of his retirement community and needs to move in with the family.

Quibi announced it has greenlit comedy series Q Talks, hosted by comedian, James Veitch. Veitch's TED Talk is one of the most watched talks in history. Individual episodes of Q Talks will feature Regina Hall, Lisa Kudrow, Neicy Nash, Jimmy O. Yang and Kristen Schaal. Q Talks is an original comedy format where celebrity speakers give expert talks - on topics they've never heard before, from a script they've never seen before, presented to them via a rigged teleprompter. To make it to the end of their talk, they'll have to say - and do - anything the prompter tells them. Quibi launches April 6, 2020. 

MTV Studios, a unit of MTV and ViacomCBS and Quibi announced that Grammy(R) award-winning superstar Chance the Rapper will take the reigns as host of Punk'd, the groundbreaking prank series that dares to put unsuspecting A-listers into hilarious and over-the-top situations. Punk'd will be reimagined for a new generation and will be available only on Quibi's mobile video platform. The MTV series that coined the cultural verb, Punk'd, started a phenomenon by going where no show had gone before. Now, Chance the Rapper, along with his signature '3' baseball cap, is stepping into the director's chair with new laughs, new hoaxes and new celebrity 'marks' in bite-sized episodes. This time around, no stars are safe, and the hidden cameras will be there to catch every second. Celebrity 'marks' will be announced at a later date.

Entertainment Studios, one of the largest independent producers and distributors of film and television, and owner of 15 U.S. broadcast television stations and nine 24-hour HD television networks now serving nearly 160 million subscribers -- including The Weather Channel television network and its streaming service Local Now - is proud to announce an additional two-season order of its comedy game show Funny You Should Ask through the 2022-23 season. Hosted by Jon Kelley (Extra, The Mole), the comedy game show Funny You Should Ask is a daily half-hour strip featuring a panel of comedians who interact with contestants for cash and big laughs. In each episode, the laughs and the stakes increase as the contestants ask the comedians questions.

The comedians regularly appearing on Funny You Should Askinclude: Howie Mandel, Tiffany Haddish, Whitney Cummings, Jon Lovitz, Anthony Anderson, Gabriel Iglesias, Cedric the Entertainer, Billy Gardell, Kathy Griffin, Margaret Cho, Cheryl Hines, Byron Allen, Louie Anderson, Raven-Symone, Tommy Davidson, Sherri Shepherd, Tim Meadows, Russell Peters, Tom Arnold, Sheryl Underwood, Natasha Leggero, Bill Bellamy, Bobby Lee, Jimmie Walker, Bill Engvall, Harland Williams, Jackee, Gary Owen, David Alan Grier, Maria Bamford, Maz Jobrani, Dave Coulier, George Wallace, Loni Love, Pauly Shore, Dean Edwards, Jodi Miller, Vivica A. Fox, and Caroline Rhea.

Beloved comedy series Reno 911! has been greenlit for a new, seventh season by Quibi, it was announced by Quibi and producing partner Comedy Central Productions. The ensemble comedy was created by and stars Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney-Silver and Thomas Lennon, all of whom are attached to write and star in the new season. Peter Principato of Artists First will executive produce the series along with Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher of Jersey Television. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

A critically acclaimed, hit series which ran for six seasons on Comedy Central, Reno 911! let viewers ride shotgun with the courageous men and women of the Reno Sheriff's Department as they lay down the law and put their lives on the line. The Reno 911! camera doesn't blink - and when the bullets start flying, the Reno Sheriff's Department will be right behind you. Quibi is a mobile-first media technology platform bringing together the best of Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Quibi is the first entertainment platform built for easy, on-the-go mobile viewing, allowing today's leading studios and creative talent to tell original stories in an entirely new way.

Actor Philip McKeon, who starred as Tommy Hyatt in Alice, has died. He died in Wimberley, Texas on December 10 after battling a long illness. Mr. McKeon was 55.

McKeon starred as Tommy Hyatt, the son of Alice Hyatt (Linda Lavin), in the 1976-1985 CBS sitcom Alice. Tommy was a talented guitarist and basketball player. He later attended Arizona State University on a basketball scholarship.

Alice was based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Alfred Lutter played the role in the film and pilot episode. McKeon appeared in 108 of the 202 episodes during the show's nine seasons. His younger sister, Nancy (The Facts of Life), guest starred in two episodes in two different roles. The series also starred Vic Tayback, Beth Howland, Polly Holliday (1976-1980), Diane Ladd (1980-1981), Celia Weston (1981-1985) and Charles Levin (1983-1985).

Some of his television guest appearances included CHiPs, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat and Amazing Stories (with guest star Charlie Sheen). He starred in the 1982 TV special Leadfoot and 1988 mini-series Favorite Son. He appeared on game shows such as The Hollywood Squares and The $10,000 Pyramid.

His film credits included Return to Horror High (1987), Red Surf (1989), 976-EVIL 2: The Astral Factor (1992), Sandman (1993) and Ghoulies IV (1994). He worked as a producer for the films Where the Day Takes You (1992), Teresa's Tattoo (1994, starring his sister Nancy), Murder in the First (1995) and The Jacket (2005).

McKeon worked on radio after 2000. He worked in the news department at KFWB AM 980 in Los Angeles for 10 years. He later co-hosted the morning radio show The Breakfast Taco on KWVH-LP 94.1FM in Wimberley, Texas.

Survivors include his sister, Nancy, and his mother, Barbara. His father, Donald, died in October.

Mr. McKeon was very good and funny as Tommy Hyatt in Alice. Our thoughts and prayers are with the McKeon family during this difficult time. He will be greatly missed.

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

Alice currently airs on Antenna TV weeknights at 8pm ET/5pm PT. The complete series is available on DVD from Warner Archive and online streaming from Amazon Video.