Thursday, January 28, 2021
No Foolin' New CBS Comedy Premieres April 1; Remembering the Legendary Cloris Leachman

CBS announced that new comedy United States of Al, from award-winning executive producer Chuck Lorre and creators/writers David Goetsch and Maria Ferrari, will premiere Thursday, April 1 at 9:30 PM, ET/PT, after The Unicorn completes its second season. United States of Al stars Adhir Kalyan and Parker Young in a comedy about the friendship between Riley (Young), a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio, and Awalmir ("Al") (Kalyan), the interpreter who served with his unit in Afghanistan and has just arrived to start a new life in America. Elizabeth Alderfer, Dean Norris, Kelli Goss and Farrah Mackenzie also star. David Goetsch & Maria Ferrari, Chuck Lorre, Reza Aslan, Mahyad Tousi and director Mark Cendrowski (pilot only) are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. United States of Al will join the CBS Thursday comedy line-up which has Young Sheldon, B Positive and Mom leading in.

Emmy and Oscar-winning actress Cloris Leachman, who starred as Phyllis Lindstrom in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Phyllis and as Beverly Ann Stickle in The Facts of Life, has died. She died on January 27 at her home in Encinitas, California. The cause of death was a stroke with reports that COVID-19 was a contributing factor. Ms. Leachman was 94.
Leachman's early television credits included Actor's Studio, Kraft Theatre, Bob and Ray, Suspense, Danger and The Philco Television Playhouse. She starred as Effie Perrine in the detective drama Charlie Wild, Private Detective from 1950 to 1952. She played Ruth Martin, Timmy's (Jon Provost) adoptive mother, in 28 episodes of the fourth season of Lassie from 1957 to 1958. Some of her other guest appearances from the 1950s and 1960s included Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Thriller, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, 77 Sunset Strip, Dr. Kildare, Perry Mason, The Virginian, Adam-12 and Mannix.

She played Phyllis Lindstrom, the downstairs landlady and snobbish friend of Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore), in 35 episodes of the CBS sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1970 to 1975 (and the final episode in 1977). Phyllis was a recurring character in the first two seasons. She was the mother of Bess (Lisa Gerritsen). Leachman won Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Comedy in 1974 and for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series in 1975. She also appeared as Phyllis in the one-hour episode Rhoda titled "Rhoda's Wedding" in 1974. The Mary Tyler Moore Show also starred Edward Asner, Ted Knight, Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper (1970-1974), Georgia Engel (1973-1977) and Betty White (1973-1977).

Leachman continued the role of Phyllis Lindstrom in the spin-off series Phyllis. The CBS sitcom ran for two seasons from 1975 to 1977. Phyllis and her daughter Bess Lindstrom moved from Minneapolis to San Francisco, after the death of her husband, Dr. Lars Lindstrom. Leachman won a Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1976, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1976. The series also starred Liz Torres (1975-1976), Richard Schaal (1975-1976), Jane Rose, Henry Jones, Judith Lowry, John Lawlor (1976-1977), Garn Stephens (1976-1977), Carmine Caridi (1976-1977), Burt Mustin (1976) and Craig Watson (1977).

She starred as Beverly Ann Stickle, Edna Garrett's (Charlotte Rae) sister, in the final two seasons of the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life from 1986 to 1988. The character of Beverly Ann had a similar personality to Leachman's previous Emmy-winning role as Phyllis Lindstrom. Beverly Ann later legally adopted Over Our Heads worker Andy Moffett (Mackenzie Astin). The cast in the final seasons included Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn, Nancy McKeon, George Clooney (Seasons 7-8) and Sherrie Krenn (Season 9).
Leachman starred as Ms. Frick and Mrs. Edwina Nutt (in the pilot episode) in the short-lived 1989 NBC sitcom The Nutt House. Ms. Frick was the head of housekeeping at Nutt House, a once-prestigious New York City hotel. The Mel Brooks and Alan Spencer produced series also starred Harvey Korman, Mark Blankfield, Brian McNamara, Molly Hagan and Gregory Itzin.
She starred as Emily Collins, the wife of Walter Collins (Brian Keith), in the short-lived 1991-1992 NBC sitcom Walter and Emily. They were the parents of Matt Collins (Christopher McDonald) and grandparents of 11-year-old Zach (Matthew Lawrence). The cast included Edna Gross, Sandy Baron and Shelley Berman.
Leachman played Grammy Winthrop in the short-lived 1999 CBS sitcom Thanks. The program explores the trials and tribulations of the Winthrops, a 17th-century Puritan family, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The series also starred Tim Dalton, Kirsten Nelson, Erika Christensen, Amy Centner, Andrew Ducote, Jim Rash, Keith Szarabajka and Robert Machray.
She played the recurring role of Grandma Ida in 11 episodes of the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle from 2001 to 2006. Ida was Lois Wilkerson's (Jane Kaczmarek) tyrannical mother. Leachman won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2002 and 2006.
Leachman starred as Dot Richmond in the 2001-2002 CBS sitcom The Ellen Show. Dot Richmond was the eccentric mother of Ellen Richmond (Ellen DeGeneres). The series also starred Martin Mull, Jim Gaffigan, Emily Rutherford, Diane Delano and Kerri Kenney.

She starred as Barbara June "Maw Maw" Thompson in 2010 to 2014 Fox sitcom Raising Hope. She was Virginia's (Martha Plimpton) 84-year-old grandmother, Jimmy's (Lucas Neff) great-grandmother, and Hope's (Baylie and Rylie Cregut) great-great-grandmother. The series also starred Garret Dillahunt, Shannon Woodward and Gregg Binkley.
Leachman reunited with her The Mary Tyler Moore Show cast members Betty White, Mary Tyler Moore, Valerie Harper and Georgia Engel in a 2013 episode of the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland. Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included The Donna Reed Show, That Girl, The Love Boat, The Associates, Ferris Bueller, The Powers That Be, The Nanny, Maybe This Time, Norm, Love & Money, Happy Family, Two and a Half Men, The Office, Blue Mountain State, Kirstie, The Millers, Girl Meets World and Teachers. Some of her voice credits included The Simpsons, Phineas and Ferb, Bob's Burgers, Creative Galaxy, Justice League Action and Elena of Avalor.
She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ruth Popper, the jaded wife of a closeted schoolteacher in the 1950s, in the 1971 film The Last Picture Show. She appeared in the Mel Brooks' films Young Frankenstein (1974) as Frau Blücher, High Anxiety (1977) as Charlotte Diesel and History of the World, Part I (1981) as Madame Defarge. Some of her other film credits included Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), WUSA (1970), Yesterday (1981), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), Now and Then (1995), Bad Santa (2003), Spanglish (2004), Mrs. Harris (2005) and New York, I Love You (2008).
Survivors include sons Adam, George Jr., Morgan, an actor; and a daughter, Dinah.
Ms. Leachman was a wonderful actress and a true comedy legend. During her career which spanned more than seven decades, she won eight Primetime Emmy Awards, an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Daytime Emmy Award. She made everything she appeared in much better. We thank her for the many laughs and hours of entertainment she brought us. She will be sorely missed.
Share your memories on our The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Phyllis and The Facts of Life message boards. View photos in our galleries.
This Saturday, Antenna TV will air a marathon of The Facts of Life episodes featuring actress and comedian Cloris Leachman. Leachman starred in the final two seasons of the sitcom as Beverly Ann Stickle, the sister of Mrs. Garrett.
"Remembering Cloris Leachman: The Facts of Life Marathon" airs Saturday, January 30 from Noon ET to 6 pm ET on Antenna TV. Visit www.antennatv.com for the channel finder.

We also remember veteran character actor Bruce Kirby. He appeared as Officer Kissel in Car 54, Where Are You?, starred in several short-lived sitcoms and made many sitcom guest appearances. He died in Los Angeles on January 24. Mr. Kirby was 95.

Kirby had a recurring role as Office Kissel in the 1961-1963 NBC sitcom Car 54, Where Are You?. The cast included Joe E. Ross, Fred Gwynne, Bea Pons, Paul Reed, Albert Henderson, Nipsey Russell, Joe Warren, Al Lewis, Hank Garrett and Charlotte Rae.
He starred as Capt. Harry Sedford in the short-lived 1976 ABC sitcom Holmes and Yoyo. The series follows Detective Alexander Holmes (Richard B. Schull) and his new android partner Yoyo (John Schuck), on their adventures and misadventures, as Holmes teaches Yoyo what it is like to be human, while trying to keep his quirky partner's true nature a secret from criminals and fellow cops.

Kirby starred as Al Brennan in the short-lived 1979 NBC sitcom Turnabout. Al Brennan was the boss of sportswriter Sam Alston (John Schuck). The series also starred Sharon Gless, Richard Stahl, Bobbi Jordan and James Sikking.
Some of his other sitcom guest appearances in the 1960s and 1970s included The Phil Silvers Show, The Patty Duke Show, I Dream of Jeannie, The Mothers-in-Law, Hogan's Heroes, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Coursthip of Eddie's Father, Room 222, The Doris Day Show, Me and the Chimp, The Bob Newhart Show, Chico and the Man, Operation Petticoat, Alice and Barney Miller.
Some of his 1980s and 1990s sitcom guest appearances included Park Place, Three's a Crowd, Night Court, Punky Brewster, Anything But Love (4 episodes as Leo Miller), Have Faith, It's Garry Shandling's Show, The Fanelli Boys, The Golden Girls, Madman of the People, Bless This House, The Single Guy, Murphy Brown and Caroline in the City. He appeared in a 2007 episode of Scrubs.
Kirby had several roles in the long-running series Columbo from 1973 to 1995, most notably as the gullible Sergeant George Kramer in six episodes. He starred as Inspector Schmidt in the 1981-1982 CBS police drama Shannon. He played District Attorney Bruce Rogoff in 13 episodes of L.A. Law from 1986 until 1991.
He was the father of actor Bruno Kirby (1949-2006). His other son, John Kirby, is an acting coach.
Mr. Kirby was a talented character actor. He was a familiar face in many sitcoms from the 1960s to the 1990s. He will be greatly missed.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Hulu Gets 3,000 Episodes from 20th Century Fox; Netflix Comedy Atypical Launches Aug. 11
Hulu and 20th Century Fox Television Distribution announced an expansive agreement that will add nearly 3,000 episodes of hit comedies, popular dramas and iconic series to Hulu. In addition to granting streaming rights to every episode of long-running hits including How I Met Your Mother, Burn Notice, Bones and Glee, the deal will also make Hulu the streaming home to all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H and the full NYPD Blue library.
Through the agreement, Hulu's offering will expand over the coming weeks with all episodes of popular series from 20th Century Fox including the following titles and many more:
Hit Comedies: How I Met Your Mother, Raising Hope, The Bernie Mac Show, Better Off Ted, Reba, Life in Pieces
Long-Running Dramas: NYPD Blue, Bones, Glee, Burn Notice, White Collar, The Practice
Iconic Series: M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, The Bob Newhart Show
Fan Favorites: Don't Trust the B—in Apartment 23, The Grinder, Blue Collar, Saving Grace, Lie To Me, Graceland
Cult Hits: Dollhouse, Wilfred, The Glades
The deal follows the announcement of an expanded agreement between Hulu and 20th Century Fox Television Distribution that adds top animated comedies from the studio to Hulu, including Emmy-winning comedy Bob's Burgers, as well as hit series American Dad!, Futurama, and The Cleveland Show. Through several previous agreements, Hulu is the exclusive subscription streaming video on-demand home of popular 20th Century Fox titles including this year's #1 drama series, This Is Us, as well as hits Fresh Off the Boat, Empire, The Last Man on Earth, Homeland and more.
Sam -- an 18-year-old on the autism spectrum - upends his family when he begins his journey of self-discovery for independence, love and acceptance in the new Netflix comedy series with heart, Atypical. Get a glimpse into the funny, heartfelt and heartbreaking moments of the Gardner family in the official trailer for the new series which launches on Netflix Friday, August 11.
Atypical is a coming of age story from the point-of-view of Sam (played by Keir Gilchrist), an 18-year-old on the autistic spectrum searching for love and independence. While Sam is on his funny and emotional journey of self-discovery, the rest of his family must grapple with change in their own lives while exploring the question: what does it really mean to be "normal"? Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as Sam's mother, Elsa, who is on a life-changing path as her son gains more independence. Michael Rapaport plays Sam's father, Doug, who desires to better connect with and understand his son. Brigette Lundy-Paine plays Sam's scrappy sister, Casey, and Amy Okuda plays his therapist, Julia. 8 episodes have been ordered.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Raymond, Roseanne Now on CMT; Bunk'd Star Gets Disney Movie
As we mentioned earlier this summer, Old Christine is now airing on CMT. Now they have added two more sitcoms. It's more of the spread of Viacom love, as it is more Viacom sharing. Sister network TV Land staples Everybody Loves Raymond and Roseanne have both joined the CMT lineup (and still on TV Land, too). Roseanne is airing from 12-2pm, while Everybody Love Raymond airs from 5-6pm. Old Christine has moved to 11am-12pm now, as looks like the 4pm hour didn't work out. Reba was airing from 12-4pm, and will now be 2-5pm. Yep, both Reba and Old Christine air on TV Land, too. Last Man Standing looks like is doing well as it will continue to air in early evening and prime, now from 6-9pm instead of 5-8pm (movies air Fridays beginning at 8pm, since new episodes of the sitcom air on ABC Fridays at 8). In late night, usually it is more Last Man Standing or Roseanne from 1:30-3am. Raising Hope will continue to air 4-5am after Paid Programming. And finally, on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 12-6pm, CMT will air a marathon of Last Man Standing.
Peyton List (Disney Channel's Bunk'd) and Jacob Bertrand (Disney XD's Kirby Buckets) star in the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie The Swap, premiering Friday, October 7 at 8:00 pm EDT across Disney Channel's multiple platforms including Disney Channel, the Disney Channel app and VOD. Part of Disney Channel's Halloween-themed "Monstober" programming event, The Swap is a comedy adventure that follows two teens on a quest to reverse a mysterious event that caused them to swap lives. Ellie O'Brien (List) is trying to juggle rhythmic gymnastics and troubles with her best friend. Meanwhile, classmate Jack Malloy (Bertrand) is struggling to live up to his brothers' hockey-star legacies and his dad's high expectations and tough-love approach. When a text argument about whose life is easier gets out of hand, Ellie and Jack trigger an unexplainable real-life swap. As each tries to navigate the other's life, hilarity ensues when Ellie (as Jack) learns about brotherly bonding and hockey lingo, while Jack (as Ellie) has to decipher girl code and experiences a spa day. With a rhythmic gymnastics championship and a spot on the varsity hockey team on the line, they must figure out how to get back in their own bodies before the swap becomes permanent. As they are forced to literally walk in each other's shoes, they gain empathy for one another and learn valuable lessons about their own lives.
The Disney Channel Original Movie also stars Claire Rankin as Ellie's mom Summer; Darrin Rose as Jack's dad, "Coach" Malloy; Callan Potter and Jesse Bostick as Jack's brothers, Gunner and Stryker, respectively; Kiana Madeira as Sassy Gaines; Eliana Jones as Aspen Bishop; Devyn Nekoda as Mackenzie Wick; Kolton Stewart as Owen; and James Godfrey as Porter Gibbs.
Tuesday, July 05, 2016
Old Christine Heads to CMT; Superstore Gets Post-Olympics Airing
CMT has added The New Adventures of Old Christine beginning this week. The Julia Louis-Dreyfus sitcom is airing weekdays at 4pm & 4:30pm in between the network's successful sitcoms Reba (12-4pm) and Last Man Standing (5-8pm), both also air on Freeform (and Hallmark also airs Last Man Standing, and Reba airs on TV Land). Roseanne kicks off the CMT sitcom line-up from 10am-12pm. The network's only other sitcom airings are two Raising Hope episodes weekday mornings from 4-5am. Back to The New Adventures of Old Christine, the sitcom also airs on sister network TV Land in late nights and has previously aired on Viacom nets NickMom and Nick at Nite. The series has also aired on Lifetime and WGN in the past. Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars in a comedy about a divorced working mom who's juggling the daily stresses of motherhood, work and dating, while maintaining a positive relationship with her ex-husband, which is easier when his pretty new girlfriend isn't around to complicate the picture. Christine Campbell has a busy life - after all, she's prone to taking NyQuil to get to sleep and leaving voicemail messages to herself in the middle of the night. She co-owns a women's 30-minute workout gym with her best friend, Barb, and manages to send her 13-year-old son, Ritchie, to a posh private school, where she endures endless encounters with two snooty, condescending stay-at-home moms, Marly and Lindsay. Her inexperienced therapist brother, Matthew, helps Christine care for Ritchie and serves as her emotional rock. Christine gets along with her ex-husband, Richard, even better than when they were married, but since Richard's been in relationship with "new" Christine" - making her the "Old Christine" - she feels the pressure to take that same leap.
Capitalizing on the Rio Olympics, NBC will air special original half-hour episodes of the network's comedy, Superstore, and reality series, The Voice, on Friday, Aug. 19 and Sunday, Aug. 21 (the night of the Closing Ceremony), respectively. Both episodes will begin at 10:30pm ET following Olympics coverage. Superstore stars America Ferrera and Ben Feldman and a unique family of employees at a super-sized megastore. Ferrera is the store's most stalwart employee who holds the place together, and Feldman plays the naive dreamer determined to prove work doesn't have to be boring. Their fellow associates include a unique collection of characters played by Lauren Ash, Colton Dunn, Nico Santos and Nichole Bloom, who are overseen by the clueless store manager played by Mark McKinney.
Following the Closing Ceremony will be the first 30 minutes of the 11th cycle of The Voice, which returns Sept. 19 in its regularly-scheduled time period. The preview will pull back the curtain on two female coaches for the first time ever as Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus will take their places in the red chairs next to Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
SitcomsOnline Digest: Lost in Space Remake in the Works for Netflix; Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to Host Saturday Night Live Episode; More CHiPs on DVD
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- In the ongoing saga of every series getting a remake or reboot, this week it was announced that Lost in Space will get a remake on Netflix. (/Film)
- Just in time for Christmas, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will return to host Saturday Night Live together. (TV Guide)
- Lucas Neff, who previously appeared as Jimmy Chance on Raising Hope, is looking to return to TV in an ABC comedy pilot. (Deadline)
- It has been over four decades since James Burrows first directed a sitcom, and he is still going strong, and will directed his 1000th episode of a sitcom on Tuesday. (Deadline)
- Game show host Jim Perry, best known for Card Sharks and Sale of the Century, has died at age 82. (Entertainment Weekly)
- Fans of The A-Team will be able to find it on Encore Classic (as well as Cozi) next year. (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Warner Home Video, like all of the other major studios, has mostly gotten out of the classic TV on DVD business in recent years (although they have been slightly better than the other studios by releasing such series online through Warner Archive), but they will be moving ahead with CHiPs - The Complete Fourth Season on March 15.
NOVEMBER 24 HOME MEDIA RELEASES
- George Lopez - The Complete Sixth Season (DVD, $24.99): After all of these years, the series is wrapped up on DVD with this Warner Archive release.
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Tuesday, September 08, 2015
Last Man Standing Heads to CMT; New Girl Timeslots on MTV
Yesterday we mentioned in our look at the Labor Day TV marathons that Last Man Standing was having one on CMT, now today it joins the CMT lineup. The Tim Allen sitcom will air weeknights on CMT from 7-8pm beginning today with the very first episode. Last Man Standing will air in between Reba, which will air 5-7pm and 8-9pm. As we also mentioned, Last Man Standing is coming to ABC Family later this month as well. The series is also coming to The Hallmark Channel in early 2016. In the series, barely surviving in a household full of women, a man's-man patriarch evaluates how far the modern woman has come, and wonders what has become of all the men. Back to CMT, Raising Hope is moving to 2-3am as a result, following Cops Reloaded. CMT will also air America's Funniest Home Videos weekdays at 3pm and 4pm. Stay with us for continued updates.
As for New Girl on MTV, we mentioned the Labor Day marathon yesterday and that it would join the line-up shared with TBS. MTV is airing the Zooey Deschanel comedy weekdays from 4-6pm. TBS is airing the series from 3-4pm. New Girl joins the MTV line-up with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as the only comedies on the network, as that series airs weekday mornings from 9-11am. New Girl stars the Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated Zooey Deschanel as Jess, a smart and spirited woman navigating her way through the highs and lows of modern friendship and romance with her male roommates (Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris and Damon Wayans Jr.) and best friend (Hannah Simone). Keep it right here for all things New Girl.
Monday, September 22, 2014
WGN America Fall 2014 Schedule; OWN's For Better or Worse Returns with a Bang
The third network to add Raising Hope this fall will be... WGN America. The comedy launches with a three night premiere event beginning Wednesday, September 24 at 8P East/5P West. The premiere event will air from 8-11pm ET/5-8pm PT on all three nights from Sept. 24-26. The series will then air every Wednesday in primetime from 8pm-12am. Elsewhere in primetime, How I Met Your Mother will air in primetime on Thursdays from 8pm-1am. Movies will air Tuesdays and Fridays, while Mondays will have AFV from 8-11pm and Parks & Recreation from 11pm-12am. Weeknights in late nights have sitcoms from 1am-4am, with an hour each of Parks & Recreation, Rules of Engagement and 30 Rock. The weekday daytime schedule has Walker Texas Ranger at 9 & 10am, In the Heat of the Night at 11am & 12pm, and the news at 1pm. Afternoons as Law & Order at 2 & 3pm, new addition Blue Bloods at 4 & 5pm, and AFV at 6 & 7pm.
Weekends has Walker Texas Ranger at 9 & 10am and In the Heat of the Night at 11am & 12pm as well, but another In the Heat of the Night at 1. Law & Order: Criminal Intent airs at 2 & 3pm, followed by Law & Order at 4pm & 5pm. Bones airs at 6 & 7pm into Blue Bloods in primetime from 8pm-12am, but original series Manhattan airs on Sundays at 10 & 11pm. Late nights on weekends has a mix of comedies and movies, with Mad About You on Sunday nights at 4:30am. Keep it right here for continued updates.
OWN's popular Tyler Perry sitcom For Better or Worse returned last Wednesday night (9/17/14) with its fall premiere episode at 9pm delivering the series' best performance since it debuted on the network one year ago (9/18/13). The premiere episode earned 1.2 million total viewers and a 1.0 rating in the network's key women 25-54 demo. Wednesday night's episode grew double-digits in both the women 25-54 demo (up +52%) and in total viewers (up +52%) vs. the spring season average (4/9/14-6/11/14). Additionally, it ranked #2 in the time period in all of cable for women 25-54. For Better or Worse, about the ups and downs of dating and marriage, centers on Angela Williams (Tasha Smith), the owner of a successful beauty salon, and her husband of 13 years, Marcus (Michael Jai White). Marcus is a former professional football player who is partnered with Richard Ellington (Kent Faulcon) and Joseph Jetson (Jason Olive) on a sports program called "C-Sports Now." Marcus's business relationship with Richard and Joseph is complicated, however, by the fact that Richard is married to Keisha (Kiki Haynes), Marcus's ex-girlfriend and the mother of his teenage daughter. In addition, Joseph's ex-girlfriend, successful real-estate agent Leslie (Crystle Stewart), is Angela's best friend, which sometimes makes it difficult for everyone to keep their business and private lives from mingling. For Better or Worse is produced for OWN by Tyler Perry Studios and is written, directed and executive produced by Tyler Perry.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
CMT Fall 2014 Schedule with Raising Hope; Nurse Jackie to End in 2015 After 7 Seasons
It's time for the second of three networks that are airing Raising Hope this fall. First, we told you about FXX, now it's time for CMT. CMT will launch the sitcom with a marathon on Sunday, Sept. 21 from 2pm-10pm. Then beginning Monday, Sept. 22 it will air weekdays from 7-9pm in primetime following Reba from 5-7pm. The Dukes of Hazzard will lead-in on most days in the afternoons around 2 or 3pm. Raising Hope will be added from 4-5pm on weekdays beginning the following week on Sept. 29. Raising Hope will also air on weekends, but the times vary. It will usually pop-up on a weekend afternoon, so check your listings for times. The rest of the CMT schedule is filled with music, originals and movies. Cops Reloaded airs in late night, usually from 12-2am, followed by Fear Factor at 2am. One more network will add Raising Hope this fall and that is WGN America, so stay tuned for that fall schedule soon.
After six award-winning and critically-acclaimed seasons, Nurse Jackie, the Showtime hit comedy starring the extraordinary Edie Falco, will begin production this week on its seventh and final season. The series, which premiered in 2009, instantly became one of the network's signature series, garnering multiple awards, including several Emmy(R) Awards, a Humanitas Prize, an AFI Award for "Outstanding Television Program" and several Prism Awards for its depiction of substance abuse. It has also placed its star Edie Falco in the rare position of being the only actress to ever win the lead acting Emmy Awards in both comedy and drama, and the most nominated television performer in Screen Actors Guild Awards history. As one of the highest-rated Showtime comedies, as well as the network's top female skewing comedy, Nurse Jackie averaged 3.4 million weekly viewers across platforms in its sixth season, once again outperforming its prior season. Nurse Jackie is a co-production between Showtime and Lionsgate.
Nurse Jackie also stars Merritt Wever in her Emmy-winning role, Paul Schulze, Dominic Fumusa, Anna Deavere Smith, Stephen Wallem, Betty Gilpin, Ruby Jerins, Mackenzie Aladjem and Peter Facinelli. Tony Shalhoub will guest star this season. Clyde Phillips serves as showrunner and executive producer. Tom Straw, Richie Jackson, Liz Flahive and Caryn Mandabach also executive produce.
Thursday, September 04, 2014
FXX Fall 2014 Schedule with Raising Hope, In Living Color; ION Revives Saving Hope in U.S.
FXX of course has added The Simpsons to its line-up after the historic 12-day day marathon, but they have more to come this Fall! The Simpsons is airing in a block format, Mondays 6pm-12am, Tuesdays 8pm-12am, Thursdays 8pm-12am, Fridays 6pm-12am and Sundays 4-8pm. We mentioned that Raising Hope would join the schedule this fall, but we now know the launch date and times. The comedy will premiere on Monday, Sept. 22. It will essentially replace Arrested Development on the schedule, as that series is no where to be found out after Sept. 22. Also leaving the schedule as of October 1 will be The Hughleys, replaced by the return of Sports Night. As for Raising Hope, it will air Mondays 2pm-6pm, Tues-Thurs around 11:30am-1pm, Fridays 2-6pm and Saturdays around 8:30am-10:30am. Check listings for exact timings on a given week. In addition to Sports Night, FXX will continue to air Mad About You and Parks & Recreation in the daytime. And finally, also joining the schedule this fall starting October 1 will be In Living Color to shake-up late nights. The sketch comedy will air usually Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri in late night between 12-2am. Keep it right here for continued updates!
ION Television today announced its latest partnership with leading independent studio Entertainment One Television (eOne), reaching an agreement for new original episodes of Saving Hope. Produced by eOne and ICF Films in association with CTV, season three of the medical drama series recently began production on 18 new episodes in June. The deal, which includes rights to existing seasons one and two, makes ION the exclusive original U.S. television network for current and future seasons of the series. In Saving Hope, the Hope Zion Hospital is left in chaos when its charismatic Chief of Surgery, Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks), falls into a coma, putting his fiancé and fellow surgeon, Alex Reid (Erica Durance), in a state of shock. Along with newly arrived star surgeon, Joel Goran (Daniel Gillies), Reid races to save Harris' life. As the action unfolds, the comatose Harris explores the hospital halls in the form of a spirit, questioning whether or not he is a figment of his own imagination. Reid, along with her fellow doctors, press on to save his life and the lives of others as they deal with the complicated and courageous decisions that are made in their daily struggle to keep hope alive. The series also stars Huse Madhavji, Julia Taylor Ross and Kristopher Turner.
Friday, April 04, 2014
Episodic Reviews: Raising Hope - "How I Met Your Mullet" and "The Father Daughter Dance" Airing Tonight on Fox; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 7, 2014)
On the next...Raising Hope:
By: Todd
It was announced last month that the critically acclaimed Fox comedy Raising Hope was ending its run after four seasons. The Chances bid farewell tonight with back-to-back episodes on the one-hour series finale. In "How I Met Your Mullet" (airing at 9:00PM ET/PT), Jimmy and Sabrina are surprised to learn that Sabrina's late grandmother left them a family maid (guest star Lesley Nicol), who has a lifetime contract with the family. Virginia’s father, Arnold (guest star Jeffrey Tambor), returns to Natesville seeking help in planning his upcoming wedding in "The Father Daughter Dance" (airing at 9:30PM ET/PT).
In the first episode, "How I Met Your Mullet," Burt and Virginia have a rule that if they came into unexpected cash, they would buy a gift for the other. After Virgina receives a promotion at her job at Knock Knock Knock, she buys Burt a new grill. Burt refuses to try the new grill. He prefers to continue to use his old shopping cart grill when Barney and Frank come over. Later, Burt finds some money and buys Virginia with a new chair. After seeing Virginia's paycheck, Burt decides to retire. Burt tries to find his passion - even if doesn't know what his passion is. Burt watches a Mullet the Bounty Hunter commercials. He decides to pursue his dream of becoming a bounty hunter. Burt, Virginia and Mullet try to catch The Big Kuhuna. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Sabrina meet Eleanor in the kitchen. Eleanor doesn't know that Sabrina's grandmother is dead, so they tell her Nana is on vacation in Peru and they continue to use her maid services. Jimmy and Sabrina later decide they have to get rid of her.
This is a classic Burt and Virginia episode. They have always been one of TV's funniest married couples. The montage and flashback scenes of Burt and Virginia buying each other gifts and Burt trying to find his passion are the highlights of the episode. I like the Mullet Vision camera they use when they chase The Big Kuhuna. It's a hilarious parody of those bounty hunter programs. The secondary story with Jimmy and Sabrina isn't given much time, but there are a few funny moments of them taking advantage of Eleanor's services. It was nice to see Downton Abbey's Lesley Nicol guest star. B+
In "The Father Daughter Dance," Burt and Virginia are eating grapes at Howdy's and planning on making their own wine. They learn that her father, Arnold, is back in town. They show in flashback scenes that her dad was a gay man living in a small town. He secretly watched Virginia grow up. Virginia wants nothing to do with him. Arnold tells the family that he is getting married to Oliver. He tells them if they plan his wedding that he will pay for Hope's college. Their lawyer Wally Phipps helps them prepare a contract. Maw Maw thinks Arnold is up to no good. She talks to Frank who she wants to stalk Arnold. Frank shows the family some secret footage that Arnold is faking the wedding. Arnold eventually reveals that the wedding is actually for Virginia and Burt. Virginia had always wanted a wedding dress like Princess Diana and her own royal wedding. The real Kenny Loggins shows up and performs a song. After learning that Arnold doesn't have the money to pay for Hope's college, Virginia must decide if she should give her a father a chance.
The series finale is more heartwarming than outrageously funny. Although the show hadn't been canceled when the episode was written and produced, the producers thought there was a possibility that it would be the finale. The always funny Jeffrey Tambor returns as Virginia's father, Arnold. He appeared earlier in the season in "Déjà Vu Man." The highlights of many episodes have always been the music montages. This episode has another good one with "Footloose" being played while Virginia and Arnold audition Kenny Loggins impersonators. I think fans will be pleased with the series finale. I liked how they thematically linked the show's original theme of fathers and daughters. It's about Virginia giving her father a chance. Virginia sang "Danny's Song" in the pilot episode. It was sweet how it was brought back in the finale at the wedding. B
That's a wrap for Raising Hope. They aren't receiving the same type of fanfare for the series finale as How I Met Your Mother, but I will miss this underrated and underappreciated comedy. Hopefully more viewers will tune in tonight than in recent weeks. The show was buried on Friday nights the final season.
There were many funny moments during the four seasons. The show was at its strongest during the first two seasons. Martha Plimpton and Cloris Leachman received Emmy nominations following the first season. I was always a big fan of My Name Is Earl. This show always had the same type of humor. I liked how they had all the subtle references to My Name Is Earl. The reunion episode in the third season was also a highlight of the series. Although the show is ending, it will live on in syndication. As we mentioned last year, the series will be aired on CMT, WGN America and FXX in the fall. There will be plenty of opportunities to revisit this hilarious comedy.
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 April 7-11, 2014, 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!
Monday, April 7, 2014
- Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Watch Jason on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Jeremy Piven (Entourage/Ellen) - Jeremy stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) - Edie is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - NeNe visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- George Lopez (Saint George/George Lopez) - George appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Thomas Haden Church (Wings) - Thomas talks about his new film Heaven Is for Real on NBC's Today in the 10am hour. He will also be on New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm ET.
- Rachael Harris (Surviving Jack/Notes from the Underbelly) - Rachael is a guest on Pop Sugar Now on TV Guide Network at 6pm and on the next day on their website at noon.
- David Walton and Benjamin Stockham - The stars of About a Boy will be guests on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
- Albert Tsai (Trophy Wife) - Albert appears on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
- Billy Crystal (Soap) - Billy stops by NBC's Today between 7-9am.
- Kirstie Alley (Kirstie/Cheers/Veronica's Closet) - Kirstie talks about her struggle with weight on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
- Marlo Thomas (That Girl) - Marlo talks about her new book, It Ain't Over . . . Till It's Over: Reinventing Your Life--and Realizing Your Dreams--Anytime, at Any Age, on NBC's Today between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
- Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation/The Office) - Rashida talks about her new film Cuban Fury on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Jason Alexander (Seinfeld/Listen Up) - Jason is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Bob Saget (How I Met Your Mother/Full House) - Bob will be on SI Now.
- Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation) - Catch Rob on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. He will also be on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.
- Brooklyn Decker (Friends with Better Lives) - Brooklyn is a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. She will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings. Finally, she is a guest on HuffPost Live at 1:15pm.
- Marlon Wayans (The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. He will also be on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York at 9:05am and New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm ET. Finally, he is a guest on Arise TV.
- Tracy Morgan (30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy visits Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Pam Dawber (Mork & Mindy/My Sister Sam) - Pam stops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Judy Greer (Arrested Development/Mad Love) - Tune in to see Judy on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
- Jamie Foxx (The Jamie Foxx Show) - Jamie is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Denis Leary (The Job) - Denis is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
- Carol Leifer (Alright Already) - Carol chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She will also be on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
- George Lopez (Saint George/George Lopez) - George guest co-hosts The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Bob Saget (How I Met Your Mother/Full House) - Bob talks about his new book, Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian, on NBC's Today between 7-9am. He chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. He will also be on Larry King Now at 2/5pm PT/ET on Ora.tv and Hulu. He is a guest on HuffPost Live at 1:30pm.
- Toni Collette (United States of Tara) - Toni talks about The Realistic Joneses and Lucky Them on NBC's Today between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
- Tyler Labine (Mad Love/Sons of Tucson) - Tyler will be on Pop Sugar Now on TV Guide Network at 6pm and on the next day on their website at noon.
- Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer appears on The Queen Latifah Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Brandy (The Game/Moesha) - Brandy is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Thomas Haden Church (Wings) - Thomas will be on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York at 9:40am.
- Denis Leary (The Job) - Watch Denis on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Jenna Elfman (Growing Up Fisher/1600 Penn/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Kristin Chenoweth (Kristin) - Kristin talks about Rio 2 on NBC's Today between 7-9am and in the 10am hour. She will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation) - Rob continues to make the rounds on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Carol Leifer (Alright Already) - Carol will be on New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm ET.
- Brooklyn Decker (Friends with Better Lives) - Brooklyn is a guest on CBS This Morning between 7-9am.
- Tracy Morgan (30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy stops by The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
- Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric and Rachael Ray ring up a phone booth in the middle of Manhattan to test New York's trivia smarts on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
- Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Kathy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She will also be on HuffPost Live.
- George Lopez (Saint George/George Lopez) - George appears on The Queen Latifah Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - NeNe visits Big Morning Buzz Live on VH1 at 10am.
- Judy Greer (Arrested Development/Mad Love) - Judy talks about her new book, I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star, on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Marlo Thomas (That Girl) - Marlo will be on Morning Joe on MSNBC. She will also be on HuffPost Live.
- Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) - Melissa discusses her amazing weight loss on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am. Other appearances include Sirius XM Morning Jolt with Larry Flick at 9:15am, Sirius XM Wake Up! with Taylor at 9:30am and ABCNews Now Entertainment Pop on ABCNewsnow.com (posted after 1:30PM).
- Marlon Wayans (The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon will be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York in the 8am hour.
- Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Catch Zach on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy/American Dad!/The Cleveland Show) - Seth is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) - Danica drops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
- Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) - Edie appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Marlon Wayans (The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon continues to make the rounds on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Big Morning Buzz Live on VH1 at 10am.
- Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) - Cobie visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Bob Saget (How I Met Your Mother/Full House) - Bob is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
- Tracy Morgan (30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy talks about Rio 2 on NBC's Today between 7-9am. He will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Tune in to see Zooey on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Allison will be on CBS This Morning between 7-9am.
- Denis Leary (The Job) - Denis chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation) - Rob is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
- Patrick Duffy (Step by Step) - Patrick appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT. He will also be on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
- Pam Dawber (Mork & Mindy/My Sister Sam) - Pam is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Felicity Huffman (Sports Night) - Felicity visits The Queen Latifah Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - NeNe will be on New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm ET.
- Brittany Daniel (The Game) - Brittany stops by The Better Show, so check your local listings.
- Marlo Thomas (That Girl) - Marlo appears on The Couch on WLNY 10/55 in New York between 7-9am.
- Kristin Chenoweth (Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on Big Morning Buzz Live on VH1 at 10am.
- Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large/Wanda at Large) - Watch Wanda on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Malin Akerman (Trophy Wife) - Malin appears on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick - The ladies of Hot in Cleveland appear on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Don Cheadle (The Golden Palace) - Don is part of the guest panel on a repeat of Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie/New Girl) - Merritt drops by LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your local listings.
- Denis Leary (The Job) - Denis talks about his new movie Draft Day on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
- Brooklyn Decker (Friends with Better Lives) - Brooklyn dishes on her new show Friends with Better Lives on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
- Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) and Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Real life couple Megan and Nick chat with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Matthew Moy (2 Broke Girls) - Matthew stops by Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
- David Duchovny (Californication) - David talks about Californication and The X-Files on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
- Anna Chlumsky (Veep) - Anna talks about Veep and Hannibal on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob will be on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
ABC Family Summer 2014 Schedule with New Sitcoms; Fox Cancels Raising Hope, Finale Set for April 4
ABC Family has announced the summer premieres of three highly-anticipated new original series, including the riveting drama Chasing Life and hilarious comedies Young & Hungry, starring Emily Osment, and Mystery Girls, starring and executive produced by Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth. Fan favorites Pretty Little Liars, Switched at Birth and The Fosters also return in June with brand-new episodes. New drama Chasing Life will premiere Tuesday, June 10, at 9:00pm ET/PT, following the fifth season premiere of Pretty Little Liars at 8:00pm. The series will hit a milestone 100 episodes during its fifth season. ABC Family will premiere two all-new comedies on its Comedy Wednesday line-up. Young & Hungry, executive produced by Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) and starring Emily Osment, premieres Wednesday June 25, at 8:00pm ET/PT. Then Mystery Girls, starring Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth, also premieres Wednesday, June 25, at 8:30pm ET/PT, following Young & Hungry. The comedy series follows two former detective TV show starlets brought back together by a real-life mystery. And finally, Switched at Birth premieres with all-new episodes on Monday, June 16, at 8:00pm ET/PT. The award-winning series returns to complete its third season by picking up the day after the winter finale. Then The Fosters returns for its second season on Monday, June 16, at 9:00pm ET/PT. Stay with us for news on Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy, as they should return in late summer or early fall since they are still airing currently on Wednesdays and will run through at least end of April.
Raising Hope is ending after this season. Critically acclaimed comedy Raising Hope will end its four-season run with a special one-hour farewell event Friday, April 4 at 9:00 & 9:30 PM ET/PT. The series finale kicks off with the all-new episode "How I Met Your Mullet" at 9:00 PM ET/PT, in which guest star Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey) plays Jimmy (Lucas Neff) and Sabrina's (Shannon Woodward) new maid. Then, in "The Father Daughter Dance" at 9:30PM ET/PT, Virginia's (Martha Plimpton) dad (guest star Jeffrey Tambor, Arrested Development) returns to Natesville with a big surprise for her and Burt (Garret Dillahunt), including a musical performance by Kenny Loggins (guest-starring as himself).
Raising Hope, created by Greg Garcia (My Name is Earl) premiered in the fall of 2010. Starring Emmy Award winners Martha Plimpton and Cloris Leachman, Garret Dillahunt, Lucas Neff, Shannon Woodward and Gregg Binkley, the series follows a lovingly dysfunctional family as they raise an adorable yet unexpected addition to the family - a little girl named Hope (Rylie & Baylie Cregut). In 2011, Martha Plimpton and Cloris Leachman were both nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards for their leading (Plimpton) and guest (Leachman) roles on the show. Don't miss the final five installments, beginning this Friday at 9:30 PM ET/PT with the all-new "Dinner With Tropes" episode, featuring guest star Judith Light (Who's The Boss?) as Virginia's boss.
Monday, February 03, 2014
Hot in Cleveland Animated Special Coming This Season; WGN America Acquires Elementary for 2015
CBS drama Elementary is headed to WGN America starting in 2015, which has acquired exclusive off-network cable rights to the series. WGN America has the rights to all seasons of the critically acclaimed drama after each season has aired on CBS network. Starring Jonny Lee Miller as detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson, Elementary is a modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases. Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escaped to Manhattan, where his wealthy father forced him to live with his worst nightmare - a sober companion, Dr. Watson. The series also stars Aidan Quinn and Jon Michael Hall. Elsewhere on WGN America, original series Salem is premiering April 20, 2014, and original series Manhattan will premiere in July 2014. WGN America will have three seasons of Elementary episodes to air next year and will likely air it once a week before airing it multiple times a week the following year (when regular syndication begins, which includes local stations on weekends), should CBS renew the series in first-run. CBS drama Person of Interest will also join WGN America in 2015, while comedy Raising Hope joins next fall (2014).
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Antenna TV Comes to Tampa, Now in 70% of US; Enlisted Timeslot Change on Fox
Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's digital multicast channel has expanded to clearances on 80+ stations across the country, bringing the digital network's reach to 70% of TV households. Antenna TV is now available in Phoenix, AZ on KNXV, and will be available in Tampa, FL on WTSP, the 84th affiliate of the network, beginning Friday, February 28. Since its launch in 2011 on Tribune and Local TV LLC stations, Antenna TV has partnered with broadcast groups including Cox, Gannett, LIN, Media General, Scripps Media, Hubbard, Gray, Raycom, Sarkes Tarzian, Journal Broadcast Group, Intermountain West, Morris Multimedia, Block Communications, Woods Communications Corp and Paxton Media Group. This past fall, Antenna TV added I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched to its lineup. We will have more news on Antenna TV pretty soon, including some stunt events in February.
Beginning this Friday (Jan. 24), Fox's new comedy Enlisted moves to its new time period from 9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT, following Bones at 8:00PM ET/PT on Fox to try and get more exposure. As a result, current 9:00PM occupant Raising Hope moves to the 9:30 PM ET/PT half-hour. A military-set family comedy, Enlisted stars Geoff Stults (October Road), Chris Lowell (Private Practice) and Parker Young (Suburgatory) as three brothers who, when the best of the best are sent overseas, stay behind to try to keep the post in order. The series also stars Emmy Award winner Keith David (The Cape) and Angelique Cabral (Friends with Benefits). In "Pete's Airstream," the all-new time period premiere episode of Enlisted, airing Friday, Jan. 24 at 9:00PM ET/PT, Pete tries to distance himself from his brothers and the platoon, which, of course, backfires. In "Thrilla in Natesvilla," the all-new time period premiere episode of Raising Hope at 9:30 PM ET/PT, Burt (Garret Dillahunt) and Virginia (Martha Plimpton) try to help Barney (Gregg Binkley) and Maxine's (guest star Molly Shannon) budding relationship, and in the process, end up in a fight. Stay with us for continued updates.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Fox Mid-Season 2014 Schedule Update; Season 2 Ordered for Instant Mom, Witches of East End
Fox is making additional changes to its mid-season 2014 schedule. Last season's No. 1 new series, The Following, returns for its thrilling 14-week second season with a special two-night season premiere event, beginning Sunday, Jan. 19 at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT, following the NFC Championship Game, live from 6:00-10:00 PM ET (previously new drama Rake was announced for this slot). The two-night The Following event continues with its time period premiere on Monday, Jan. 20 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, following the season finale of Sleepy Hollow, airing at a special time of 8:00 PM ET/PT (Almost Human is preempted on Jan. 20, but will return Jan. 27). Bold new legal drama Rake will now debut on its regular night and time of Thursday, Jan. 23 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, following an all-new American Idol at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Making his broadcast television series debut, Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine, The Kennedys) plays a brilliant and frustratingly charming criminal defense attorney, whose chaotic and self-destructive personal life often gets in the way of his professional one.
Changes to the Fox Tuesday night comedy block begin after The Mindy Project airs its Winter Finale on Jan. 28 at 9:30PM ET/PT. Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 4, Brooklyn Nine-Nine moves to its new time period premiere at 9:30 PM ET/PT, following all-new installments of New Girl. The new duo will also air after the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 2. Dads continues to kick off Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET/PT until Tuesday, Feb. 11, while a special two-hour Tuesday Idol will air on Feb. 18. Starting Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, Glee makes Tuesdays sing when it moves to a new night and time and returns with all-new episodes for the remainder of the season. All-new installments of New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine follow, until The Mindy Project returns Tuesday, April 1 with a special one-hour event featuring all-new back-to-back episodes. The series returns to its regular time period beginning Tuesday, April 8 at 9:30PM ET/PT following New Girl. As for Brooklyn Nine-Nine, its season finale will be on March 25. As previously announced, new comedy Enlisted will debut Friday, Jan. 10 at 9:30 PM ET/PT following Raising Hope. Additional premiere dates and schedule information to be announced, such as new comedies Surviving Jack and Us & Them.
Nickelodeon has ordered a second season of its hit family comedy for Nick at Nite and NickMom, Instant Mom. In addition, the series, starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict (Sister Sister, Tia & Tamera), has also been greenlit for six additional episodes to add to its first season, bringing the season total to 26 episodes. The second season order will be for 20 episodes. The multi-camera, scripted half-hour series features Mowry-Hardrict as Stephanie, a party girl who trades in Cosmos for carpools when she marries Charlie (Michael Boatman, Spin City), who already has three kids. Airing regularly on Nick at Nite Sundays at 8:30 pm (ET/PT), the series also airs on the adult-targeted NickMom comedy block on the Nick Jr. channel. Instant Mom continues to be a hit on Nick at Nite posting year over year gains with Adults 18-49 (0.31 rtg/336K viewers, +15%) and Women 18-49 (0.43 rtg/237K viewers, +23%) and drawing 1.2 million total viewers per episode, since its Sept. 29 premiere. Additionally, the series launch on NickMom that same night was the block's highest-rated premiere ever with W18-49 and total viewers.
The series follows Stephanie as she struggles to maintain some sense of her fun-loving, slightly irresponsible life while managing being a full-time stepmom. Sheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha) stars as Stephanie's mother Maggie, and rounding out the cast are Charlie's three kids played by Sydney Park (CSI: NY), Tylen Jacob Williams and Damarr Calhoun. Instant Mom is executive-produced by Howard Michael Gould and Aaron Kaplan.
Meanwhile, Lifetime is set to scare up a second season of its new freshman drama Witches of East End (#WitchesofEastEnd), starring Emmy(R) Award-winner Julia Ormond, Mädchen Amick, Jenna Dewan Tatum and Rachel Boston as a family of witches living in the secluded seaside town of East Haven, with a 13 episode order for a 2014 return. Based on Melissa de la Cruz's New York Times best-selling novel, Witches of East End centers on the mysterious Beauchamp family: free-spirited artist Joanna (Ormond) and her two grown daughters, wild-child bartender Freya (Dewan Tatum) and shy librarian Ingrid (Boston), both of whom are unaware that they are gifted (and cursed) with a magical birthright. Freya is recently engaged to the man of her dreams, wealthy playboy Dash Gardiner (Eric Winter), but when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Dash's troubled, enigmatic brother Killian (Daniel DiTomasso), bizarre occurrences begin to manifest. Meanwhile, Joanna's long-estranged sister Wendy (Amick) shows up with a warning that could change the Beauchamps' fate forever, forcing Joanna to reveal to her daughters they are, indeed, immortal witches who possess great untapped powers. Witches of East End also stars Jason George and Oscar(R) and Golden Globe(R) Award nominee Virginia Madsen as recurring players. One of Lifetime's youngest skewing scripted series ever, with a median age of 46, Witches of East End is averaging 3.0 million Total Viewers, 1.7 million Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 viewers, and 1.3 million Women 18-49 and Women 25-54 viewers on a Live+7 basis through five weeks. The series' first season will conclude on Sunday, December 15 at 10:00pm ET/PT with its tenth episode.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
I Love Lucy Christmas in Color on CBS Dec. 20; Fox Now Giving New Drama a Two-Night Premiere
As we first broke on Twitter on Friday, The I Love Lucy Christmas Special, a one-hour special featuring two newly colorized back-to-back classic episodes of the 1950s series, will be broadcast Friday, Dec. 20 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT on CBS. The two episodes - the seldom-seen "Christmas Episode" and "Lucy's Italian Movie" (aka "Grape Stomping") - were colorized with a vintage look, a nod to the 1950s period in which the shows were filmed. The main titles and end credits of the two episodes are seamlessly combined into one set - at the beginning and end of the hour - with no interruption between the episodes. The programs feature Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, and Vivian Vance and William Frawley as the Ricardos' friends and landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz.
"The Christmas Episode" finds the Ricardos and Mertzes decorating Lucy and Ricky's Christmas tree and reminiscing about how their lives have changed since the arrival of the Ricardo's son, Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux). Flashbacks (in black-and-white to emphasize the time lapse) recall the night Lucy tells Ricky she is pregnant, the time Lucy shows up unexpectedly as part of a barbershop quartet, and the day Ricky and the Mertzes rehearse taking Lucy to the maternity ward. "The Christmas Episode" was first presented as part of the regularly scheduled "I Love Lucy" series on CBS in December 1956. The episode wasn't included in the series' long history of rebroadcasts, first on CBS Daytime and later in syndication. Thought to be "lost," CBS rediscovered the episode in 1989.
"Lucy's Italian Movie" finds the Ricardos and Mertzes visiting Rome, where Lucy is invited by a famous Italian film director to appear in his next picture, "Bitter Grapes." Mistakenly thinking the film concerns the wine industry, Lucy sets out to visit a local vineyard where she soaks up more local color than intended. "Lucy's Italian Movie" was originally presented on "I Love Lucy" in March 1956 and became an instant classic. It was included in CBS's 1958 summer series, "The Top 10 Lucy Shows," as chosen by television critics.
I Love Lucy aired on CBS from Oct. 15, 1951 until May 6, 1957. It was voted "the best TV show of all time" in a 2012 viewer poll conducted by People Magazine and ABC News. You can buy The I Love Lucy Christmas Special colorized on DVD Nov. 5 as well from CBS Home Entertainment!
New buddy-cop thrill-ride Almost Human (starring Karl Urban, Michael Ealy and Minka Kelly) will now have a special two-night series premiere on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, following an NFL On Fox double-header, and Monday, Nov. 18 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on Fox. Bones will continue Mondays at 8:00 PM ET/PT with all-new episodes on Nov. 4 and Nov. 11, followed by all-new episodes of Sleepy Hollow at 9:00 PM ET/PT. Bones moves to Fridays and makes its new night premiere on Friday, Nov. 15 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, following the season finale of Master Chef Junior the prior week. That same night, Raising Hope will have its fourth season premiere with one hour of all-new back-to-back episodes at 9:00 PM and 9:30 PM ET/PT, a week later than originally planned. Also, Bones was originally slated to move to Fridays on Nov. 8, while Almost Human was originally scheduled to premiere Nov. 4. But all that has now changed to what we just relayed!
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Digital Digest: Family Guy Moving Ahead on DVD; New Fox MOD Releases; More Mama's Family on DVD
DIGITAL NEWS
It hasn't even been a month since Fox released Family Guy - Volume Eleven, and now, Family Guy - Volume Twelve is already in the works! Set for a December 17 release, the three disc set will come at a $39.98 MSRP and will include all 22 episodes of the 2012-2013 of the series (meaning that the DVDs have essentially caught up with the broadcast season).
Meanwhile, Fox also released a pair of new MOD releases this week. First up, the entire series of a recently canceled ABC series is available in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 - The Complete Series. Also, the Fox series Raising Hope continues on DVD in MOD form in Raising Hope - The Complete Third Season. Both sets come at a $29.94 MSRP.
For those who want Mama's Family in smaller chunks, Time-Life is preparing to release another season of the series on February 25. That is when fans will see Mama's Family - The Complete Third Season on DVD. Of course, if you can't wait until then, you can already enjoy the entire series on DVD with Mama's Family - The Complete Series.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (October 15) brings a little more "winning" to DVD with Lionsgate's release of Anger Management - Volume Two (DVD/Blu-ray). If you're a fan of older series and haven't picked up the previous DVD releases, Sony has plenty of value-priced complete series releases, with Bewitched - The Complete Series, I Dream of Jeannie - The Complete Series, and The Partridge Family - The Complete Series. Finally, Fox brings together the three original seasons of Arrested Development in Arrested Development - The Three Original Seasons.
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Reno Wilson (Twitter), "The Actor. I play Carl on Mike and Molly on CBS Mondays@9:30 & I've been on other stuff too! Lover of run, spin and yoga sweat. I believe the cup is Half-Full!"
Claim to Fame: Reno Wilson is an actor, comedian, and voice actor that TV audiences first saw in his small role as Howard on The Cosby Show in the 1980s. Following that role, he went on to many guest roles in other series, including Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Coach, and Scrubs. In recent years, though, he has been in his most recognizable role as Carl McMillan in the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly, which will return to CBS in just a few weeks.
Pick of the Tweets: "For me Saturday mornings was all about cartoons! Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry. For my kids it's Club Penguin and MineCraft. #TheirWorld." (April 27, 2013)
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Fox Moves Enlisted Launch to January; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 16, 2013)
In order to take advantage of our winter sports promotional platform, new comedy Enlisted, starring Geoff Stults (The Finder, October Road), Chris Lowell (Private Practice, Veronica Mars) and Parker Young (Suburgatory), will premiere on Friday, Jan. 10 at 9:30 PM ET/PT, following all-new episodes of Bones at 8:00 PM ET/PT and Raising Hope at 9:00 PM ET/PT on Fox. As previously announced, Bones will make its time period premiere when the drama series moves from Mondays at 8:00 PM ET/PT to Fridays at 8:00 PM ET/PT on Nov. 8. This fall, all-new episodes of Bones on Fridays will be followed by one hour of all-new, back-to-back installments of Raising Hope at 9:00 PM and 9:30 PM ET/PT, which makes its Season Four premiere on Nov. 8.
Enlisted is a new military-set family comedy that centers on three brothers who, when the best of the best are sent overseas, stay behind to try to keep the post in order. Staff Sergeant Pete Hill (Stults) was on a path for a huge military career until one mistake overseas got him booted stateside to Fort McGee, the post in Florida where his two younger brothers are stationed. Now, as their platoon sergeant, Pete must serve both as big brother and military boss. Corporal Derrick Hill (Lowell) is the middle brother - smart and sarcastic, he likes to stir up trouble and doesn't really care about being a soldier. Private Randy Hill (Young), on the other hand, loves it. Between clean-up duty at a parade, human-grease-bowling and assorted soldierly pranks, they will inadvertently discover the key to strengthening their long-lost childhood bonds.
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 Sept. 16-20, 2013, 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!
Monday, September 16, 2013
- Louis C.K. (Louie) - Watch Louie on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Kristen Schaal (Bob's Burgers/30 Rock/Flight of the Conchords) - Kristen appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Andy visits Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Malin Akerman (Trophy Wife) - Malin stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy is a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Tune in to see Zoey on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Seinfeld) - Julia appears on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am. She will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - NeNe drops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings. She will also be on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Vanessa Lachey (Dads) - Vanessa appears on Good Day New York on WNYW at 9:00am.
- Mary Louise Parker (Weeds) - Mary Louise is a guest on Good Day New York on WNYW at 9:30am.
- Arsenio Hall (Arsenio Hall) - Arsenio Hall hosts a surprise birthday party for Rachael Ray on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
- Bradley Whitford (Trophy Wife) - Bradley chats on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi (Dads) - Seth and Giovanni are guests on The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
- John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter) - John joins Queen Latifah for a candid conversation about his career, his family and what'ss next for this superstar The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
- Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Catch Neil on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi stops by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) - Amy is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy continues to make the rounds on NBC's Today between 7-9am and in the 10am hour. She will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Steve chats at the kitchen table and dishes out super-funny stories from his own family on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
- Wendie Malick (Hot in Cleveland/Just Shoot Me!) - Wendie appears on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
- Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Allison is a guest on The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
- Alyson Hannnigan (How I Met Your Mother) - Alyson chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Will opens up about family, fame, and his 20-year friendship with Queen Latifah on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
- Anthony Anderson (Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony stops by The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) - Watch Bryan on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Megan Mullally (Will & Grace/Breaking In) - Megan drops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Tony Danza (Who's the Boss?/Taxi) - Tony appears on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Anna Faris (Mom) - Anna is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Seth Green (Dads/Four Kings/Greg the Bunny) - Seth visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Lizzy Caplan (The Class/Party Down) - Lizzy is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Jenna Elfman (1600 Penn/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna talks about her longtime friendship with Mark Steines on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
- Tamera Mowry (Sister, Sister) - Tamera is a guest on Good Day New York on WNYW at 9:30am.
- Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Kick cholesterol to the curb with Cedric the Entertainer on The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.
- Jenny McCarthy (Jenny/Two and a Half Men) - Tune in to see Jenny on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Jason Biggs (Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason and his wife Jenny Mollen shake things up with a no-holds-barred sit-down on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
- Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Catch Tina on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Tim Allen (Last Man Standing/Home Improvement) - Tim visits The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Aimee Garcia (George Lopez/All About the Andersons/Greetings from Tucson) - Aimee stops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) - Charlie, Rob and Glenn are guests on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry drops by Good Day New York on WNYW at 9:00am.
- Toni Collette (United States of Tara) - Toni appears on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- Danny DeVito (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Taxi) - Danny is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Jamie Foxx (The Jamie Foxx Show) - Jamie guests on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
- Tamera Mowry (Sister, Sister) - School is back in session at The Chew, with Mario Batali providing cooking instruction to Tamera on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
- Lenny Venito (The Neighbors/The Knights of Prosperity) - Lenny will be on ABC News Now What's the Buzz.
- Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains) - Kirk chats on The Better Show, so check your local listings.
- NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - Nene is a guest on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
- Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D. - Watch Neil on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS. He also previews hosting the 65th Primetime Emmy® Awards on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Andre is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- Lenny Venito (The Neighbors/The Knights of Prosperity) - Lenny appears on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am. He also cooks breakfast on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
- Tia and Tamera Mowry (Sister, Sister) - Tia and Tamera are guests on The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
- Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry talks about Brooklyn Nine-Nine on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs) - Wendi will be on ABC News Now What's the Buzz.
Tuesday, July 09, 2013
Raising Hope Heads to CMT, WGN America and FXX in Fall 2014; New Millennial Network Pivot TV Launching August 1
With Fall 2013 looming we are gearing up for syndication timeslots for sitcoms and cable network fall schedules, but looking ahead to fall 2014 Raising Hope has locked a cable deal for syndication. The sitcom will not get an exclusive cable home, but instead it will be shared with three cable networks. Yes, three! Raising Hope will be seen on CMT, WGN America and the upcoming FXX, all in fall 2014. The sitcom will of course enter regular local broadcast syndication in fall 2014 as well, but surprisingly no news yet of any clearances. That is strange since fellow fall 2014 entrees Mike & Molly and Hot in Cleveland are nearly complete with their clearances. Also entering syndication in fall 2014 will be Anger Management starring Charlie Sheen. Back to Raising Hope, the Fox sitcom also currently is available on Hulu and Hulu Plus, and its first two seasons are available on Netflix. Episodes are available for purchase on Amazon as well.
The fourth season launches on Fox on a new night and time, Fridays at 9pm beginning November 8. So when the upcoming season is completed, it will be heading to syndication with likely about 88-90 episodes if the series produces 22 episodes in season four (which likely it will). Raising Hope is the critically acclaimed comedy created by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia and executive-produced by Mike Mariano that follows the continuing comic adventures of the Chance family as they raise an adorable toddler named Hope. Lucas Neff, Martha Plimpton, Garret Dillahunt, Shannon Woodward, Gregg Binkley and Cloris Leachman star. Stay with us for continued updates on the series on CMT, WGN America and FXX, along with any clearances details of it in broadcast syndication. Stay tuned.
Pivot, Participant Media's new cable network targeting Millennials (18-34), announced plans to kick off on August 1 with the premiere of its live midnight talk show, TakePart Live (TPL). Five nights a week, the TakePart team decodes the headlines, dissects the daily memes and engages in irreverent and spirited conversations with a wide range of guests and with the audience itself. In addition to original series, pivot will also feature reruns of series such as the Emmy-winning football drama Friday Night Lights and the sci-fi series Farscape. In addition, Little Mosque, the internationally acclaimed and long-running Canadian series, will make its U.S. TV debut on August 5 at 7pm. The long-running and critically acclaimed series takes a satirical look at a Muslim community living in Canada who has rented the town's Anglican church to start a local mosque. The series has been seen in over 90 countries, except for the U.S. until now. The new cable network also unveiled launch dates for its primetime originals including the September 14 back-to-back debuts of Meghan McCain's genre-bending docu-talk series, Raising McCain and real-life docu-series, Jersey Strong. And coming January 18, 2014 will be a new take on the variety show hosted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (titled hitRECord on TV) who directs countless artists from his global open-source online community – hitRECord – to create short films, live performances, music, animation, conversation and more! Each episode focuses on a different theme as Joe invites and encourages anybody with an Internet connection to join him and contribute. That's all we have that is notable for this network, but should they air any sitcom acquisitions, we will certainly let you know. So stay with us.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Laverne & Shirley Reunion on Nickelodeon Sitcom; Fox Fall 2013 Premiere Dates
Nickelodeon is "Making Our Dreams Come True!" Beloved classic sitcom duo Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley) will reunite on screen in a scripted series for the first time in over 30 years with their upcoming guest appearance on Nickelodeon's fellow buddy sitcom Sam & Cat. Marshall and Williams will appear alongside Sam & Cat's funny gals Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande in "#SalmonCat," taping this week in Los Angeles. In the episode, Sam and Cat are ordered to rename their babysitting business because it's too similar to Salmon Cat, a TV show from the '70s. Sam and Cat must track down the show's two original creators (played by Marshall and Williams) and resolve their three decade-long feud. Sam & Cat, currently Nickelodeon's number-one live-action series, drew over 4.2 million viewers with its series premiere making it the network's biggest live-action debut in three years. The series airs regularly Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT).
In Sam & Cat, McCurdy (iCarly's Sam Puckett) and Grande (Victorious' Cat Valentine) are back as their respective iconic characters from iCarly and Victorious in this new spin-off comedy. Sam & Cat follows feisty Sam and flighty Cat as they become best friends and unlikely roommates who start a babysitting service. The series is created by award-winning executive producer Dan Schneider (iCarly, Victorious, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101). Meanwhile, Laverne & Shirley aired from 1976-83 on ABC so this is the first time both Marshall and Williams will be acting together since 1983. Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!
Fox has now set its fall 2013 premiere dates for its new and returning series, joining CBS, The CW and NBC who all announced their dates already. Only ABC now remains to be announced. The 2013-2014 Fox season begins with the return of The X Factor and once again Fox will launch a majority of their series before the start of the official start of the new TV season. Hosted by Mario Lopez, and featuring judges Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio, the hit music competition series will launch with a two-night season premiere event on Wednesday, Sept. 11 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT and Thursday, Sept. 12 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. The X Factor will expand to two-hours every Wednesday starting Sept. 18 and will be one-hour on Thursdays starting Sept. 19. Darkly amusing procedural Bones enters its ninth season on Monday, Sept. 16 at 8:00PM ET/PT, followed by the series premiere of the thrilling adventure fantasy Sleep Hollow at 9:00PM ET/PT. The very next night, Sept. 17, the Tuesday night comedy block is back with two new additions - multi-camera sitcom Dads at 8:00PM ET/PT and single-camera comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine at 8:30PM ET/PT - and new seasons of New Girl at 9:00PM ET/PT and The Mindy Project at 9:30PM ET/PT, both remaining in their timeslots from last season. Moving on to Thursdays, fans will find out the answers to many Glee-related questions when a new season of the musical comedy launches Thursday, Sept. 19 at 9:00PM ET/PT, following The X Factor.
On Fridays, new unscripted series Masterchef Junior is set to debut Friday, Sept. 27 at 8:00PM ET/PT. The regular Masterchef will have its season finale on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 9:00PM following The X Factor season premiere. Sundays get re-animated beginning Sept. 29, with the season premieres of The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy and American Dad! all returning in their time periods from 8:00-10:00PM ET/PT. And finally, later this fall, futuristic action drama Almost Human from J.J. Abrams premieres Monday, Nov. 4 at 8:00PM ET/PT in place of Bones. Where will that series go you say? To Friday nights beginning Nov. 8 is when Bones moves to a new night at 8:00PM ET/PT. Following Bones will be comedies: the season premiere of Raising Hope on a new night and time of 9:00PM ET/PT kicks off an all-new hour of comedy, followed by the series premiere of the new sibling single-camera comedy Enlisted at 9:30PM ET/PT from Kevin Biegel (Cougar Town, Scrubs). Stay with us for any further updates on Fox Fall 2013.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, August 24
The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Murder at Sea" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Gemma throws Dave an unforgettable murder mystery birthday party. Meanwhile, Malcolm uses the celebration to introduce Mercedes to his family.
The Neighorhood - "Welcome to the Two-Ring Circus" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
A change of plans sends Mercedes and Tina on a memorable night out that prompts several couples to take a closer look at what they truly want from their relationships. Meanwhile, Dave’s visit to Gemma’s school sparks an honest conversation about her feelings toward her job.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "The Gang Gets Tested" (FX and FXX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Dennis and Dee are diagnosed with ADHD, and even more shocking: Mac isn't. They go back to school for a do-over now that they understand their brains better. Written by Charlie Day and directed by Richie Keen.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 24)
Monday, August 24
- Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) - Watch Glen on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons) - Colman appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Brett Goldstein (Shrinking/Ted Lasso) - Brett is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Adam talks about Whisper Man on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
- Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana talks about Scarpetta on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee talks about Ella McKay on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/29/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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