SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

• It seems that 2014 has been one of the biggest years ever on DVD in terms of the unreleased finally getting released, and that continued this week with news that Shout! Factory is working on a complete series release for WKRP in Cincinnati! The first season, of course, was released by Fox and had heavy music replacement, so we're hopeful that we'll see a much better product from Shout! Factory.
• Meanwhile, another seemingly abandoned series has been confirmed to be rescued by Shout! Factory, with Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series. The release will come just in time for back to school on August 26.

• Barney Miller - The Complete Fifth Season (DVD, $24.97): Shout! Factory continues with another season of one of the greatest cop sitcoms of all time.
• Eastbound & Down - The Complete Fourth and Final Season (DVD, $29.98; Blu-ray, $39.98): The final season of the hit HBO comedy arrives on both DVD and Blu-ray.

When ABC announced that they have canceled freshman comedy Back in the Game, they mentioned they would air all 13 episodes. It looks like for now all 13 won't air. After next week's (Dec. 11) Christmas episode, the James Caan/Maggie Lawson series is not scheduled to return to Wednesdays at 8:30pm. The Christmas episode will be the tenth episode to air, so that means three episodes will still remain to air. The following three Wednesdays (Dec. 18, 25 and Jan. 1), the ABC comedies are in repeats and ABC will be airing repeats of The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife in the slot for those three weeks. Back in the Game was scheduled to return on Jan. 8, but now ABC will air a second all-new Super Fun Night on that night at 8:30pm (in addition to a new episode in its 9:30pm slot). 17 episodes of that series has been ordered, so the series is still in line to end its season on Feb. 19. And finally, as we mentioned, Suburgatory will return to Wednesdays at 8:30pm with its season premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 15. So, will the final three Back in the Game ever end up airing? We're not sure, but if and when it does, we'll let you know. Stay with us, Angles.


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 Dec. 9-13, 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, December 9, 2013

• Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Watch Queen Latifah on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Adam Pally (Happy Endings/The Mindy Project) - Adam stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi is a guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Louie Anderson (Life with Louie/The Louie Show) - Louie appears on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Faith Ford (Hope & Faith/Murphy Brown) - Faith visits LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Constance Marie (George Lopez) - Constance talks about her role on the ABC Family hit Switched at Birth on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Kim Richards (Hello, Larry) - Kim chats on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
• Elise Neal (The Hughleys) - Elise is part of the guest panel on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
• Katey Sagal (8 Simple Rules/Married with Children) - Tune in to see Katey on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Donald Faison (The Exes/Scrubs) - Donald is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings. He will also be on The Arsenio Hall Show, so check listings.
• Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom discusses his role in Saving Mr. Banks on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.
• Lisa Whelchel (The Facts of Life) - Lisa appears on The Doctors, so check your local listings.

• Billy Crystal (Soap) - Catch Billy on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Kirstie Alley (Kirstie/Veronica's Closet/Cheers) - Kirstie is a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom visits Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• John Goodman (Roseanne) - John appears on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Toks Olagundoye (The Neighbors) - Tune in to see Toks on The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Lizzy Caplan (The Class/Party Down) - Lizzy is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell) - Mark-Paul stops by The Pete Holmes Show at midnight on TBS.
• Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) - It's an hour of Latin inspired holiday dishes when Mario and Mario Batali whip up a tasty holiday dish on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT. He will also be on New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm ET.
• Richard Karn (Home Improvement) - Richard discusses his latest project on Home & Family at 10am on Hallmark Channel.
• Ed Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Ed is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• David Koechner (The Office) - David will be on SI Now at 1pm.
• Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) - Miranda appears on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.

• Ken Jeong (Community) - Watch Ken on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Bradley Whitford (Trophy Wife) - Bradley stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Jim Gaffigan (My Boys/Welcome to New York) - Jim visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown) - Candice is a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) and Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Kathy and Whitney are part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom continues to make the rounds on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Kirstie Alley (Kirstie/Veronica's Closet/Cheers) - Kirstie talks about her return to television in Kirstie on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Alyssa Milano (Who's the Boss?/Romantically Challenged) - Tune in to see Alyssa on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• J.B. Smoove (The Millers/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - J.B. is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.

• Scott Foley (The Goodwin Games/A.U.S.A.) - Catch Scott on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Alexis Knapp (Ground Floor) - Alexis drops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Tim Conway (McHale's Navy/Rango) - Tim is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Ellie Kemper (The Office) - Ellie appears on The Pete Holmes Show at midnight on TBS.
• Debra Messing and Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) - Debra and Eric reunite on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• John C. McGinley (Ground Floor/Scrubs) - John shares behind-the-scenes stories from his new sitcom Ground Floor on Home & Family at 10am on Hallmark Channel.
• Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) - Soleil stops by Home & Family at 10am on Hallmark Channel.
• Megan Mullally (Will & Grace/Breaking In) - Megan is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) - Adam will be on Larry King Now at 2/5pm PT/ET on Ora.tv and Hulu.
• Niecy Nash (The Soul Man/Reno 911!) - Niecy appears on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York at 9:05am.
• The Murphy Brown Cast Reunion - Murphy Brown stars Candice Bergen, Faith Ford, Charles Kimbrough, Joe Regalbuto and Grant Shaud along with creator Diane English reunite to share behind-the-scenes stories in celebration for the show's 25th Anniversary on Katie, so check your local listings.

• John Witherspoon (The Wayans Brothers/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Watch John on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• William Shatner ($h*! My Dad Says) - William appears on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Ken Jeong (Community) - Ken is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Constance Marie (George Lopez) - Constance talks about her role on the ABC Family hit Switched at Birth on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Niecy Nash (The Soul Man/Reno 911!) - Niecy visits The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Reed Alexander (iCarly) - Reed will be on The Couch on WLNY 10/55 in New York between 7-9am.
• Dan Lauria (Sullivan & Son/The Wonder Years) - Dan is a guest on New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm ET.

The ABC Television Network announced midseason premiere dates today for new series The Assets, Killer Women, Mind Games and Mixology. In addition, the network has scheduled premiere dates for the new season of The Bachelor with Juan Pablo Galavis, critically acclaimed comedy Suburgatory, and the cooking competition series The Taste, now expanded to two hours. Previously announced new drama series Resurrection will now premiere at 9:00pm on Sunday, March 9, thus Revenge will move into the 10:00pm time slot starting on that date. The midseason schedule launches on Thursday, Jan. 2 with the return of The Taste expanded to two hours and on a new night. Previously announced reality series The Quest will now premiere at a later date. Then at 10pm on Thursdays, new series The Assets, an eight-part limited series based on the real life events of CIA counter-intelligence officer Sandy Grimes (Jodie Whittaker) will air. Grey's Anatomy and Scandal will return on Thursday, Feb. 27 from 9-11pm to air repeat-free for the remainder of the season. Both series have their "fall" finales on Dec. 12. As for Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, no return date has been planned but five episodes will remain to be aired after its Dec. 12 "fall" finale.

Moving on, no surprise that The Bachelor will launch its new season on the first Monday of the new year, on Monday, Jan. 6 from 8-10pm. On the following night, new Tricia Helfer drama Killer Women will premiere on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 10pm for eight episodes before another new drama premieres on Tuesday, March 11 in the time period: Mind Games starring Christian Slater. Wednesday comedies will have some new entries, with the return of Suburgatory on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 8:30pm, replacing the canceled Back in the Game, which would have aired its 13 episodes by then. At 9:30pm, current occupant Super Fun Night has a 17 episode order and by Feb. 26 a new comedy will get a chance. That comedy will be Mixology from Ryan Seacrest. And finally, as mentioned earlier Resurrection will now premiere at 9:00pm on Sunday, March 9 into Revenge at its new time. Once Upon a Time will also return on this date. It is unclear still what will air in January and February on Sunday nights, but there could be some airings of the current ABC Sunday drama line-up (Once, Revenge, Betrayal) in January before taking a short break. One other note, Nashville will return for its midseason premiere on Wednesday, February 26 at 10. It is still uncertain if that series will be on a hiatus in January and February. If so, no idea yet what will air in that slot. Stay with us for continued updates.

NBC has entered a deal to co-produce 12 episodes of the half-hour singlecam comedy Working the Engels from producers Halfire-CORE Entertainment in partnership with Shaw Media. Working the Engels marks the first time a U.S. and Canadian broadcaster have collaborated to produce a half-hour network comedy. The series, created and written by Katie Ford and Jane Ford, centers on a family who must band together to keep their heads above water when their father and breadwinner passes away, leaving them a mountain of debt. The Engels must all go to work running Dad's storefront law firm, with one minor problem - daughter Jenna is the only one who is qualified to practice law.

SCTV legend and two-time Emmy Award winner Andrea Martin will play Ceil, the overly confident family matriarch. Working the Engels also stars Kacey Rohl (Hannibal), Azura Skye (American Horror Story) and Benjamin Arthur (Less Than Kind). No word as of yet when NBC plans on airing the comedy series, but as soon as we know, we'll let you know!

TV Land has picked-up the rights to air The Brady Bunch. It was so last minute that they already started airing it this past weekend (Nov. 2-3). The sitcom will air every weekend on TV Land in block timeslots. The series hasn't aired on the network since 2010 when they lost rights, but now they bought it again! TV Land will air the groovy '70s comedy every Saturday morning from 9am-12pm and early Sunday mornings from 5am-9am. Also, TV Land will air multiple-part episodes and memorable episodes in a Sunday block from 3-6pm, such as the Bradys going to Hawaii, which aired yesterday. Next Sunday in that block, it will feature the Bradys going to the Grand Canyon and the classic Marcia episode where she gets hit in the nose by a football. "Oh my nose!" So, come hang out with the Brady family again on TV Land - Carol, Mike, Greg, Marcia, Jan, Peter, Cindy, Bobby and of course Alice the housekeeper!

ABC has announced that they have picked-up the "back nine" for two of its freshman comedies - The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife, which both air on Tuesday nights and air back-to-back at 9 & 9:30pm. Both comedies have gotten solid buzz and reception and have been consistent in the ratings in recent weeks. Now we will have a full 22 episode season for both of these comedies! As for the two new Wednesday freshman comedies, it's not as good news but Super Fun Night starring Rebel Wilson did get four additional episodes ordered, so it will have 17 episodes this season, as of now. The comedy airs at 9:30pm following top comedy Modern Family. And while additional episodes were ordered for the three freshman comedies, the fourth one didn't have such good news. Back in the Game starring James Caan and Maggie Grace will not go beyond its 13-episode season, meaning it will be 13 and out. ABC will continue to air the series though. Seven episodes are left to air. ABC should be done with its order by the end of January. It's somewhat surprising news that they decided this quickly, since the series wasn't a bomb in the ratings. One factor is DVR ratings and this series didn't receive much of a bump as the other three comedies.

Come mid-season, ABC has returning comedy Suburgatory waiting on deck as well as new comedy Mixology. The latter could be used with Super Fun Night, should ABC move that comedy to another timeslot. Perhaps Trophy Wife might be used on Wednesdays come mid-season, but that's just a guess. Suburgatory could be an option on Wednesdays again. We should know in the next few weeks when ABC announces its plan for January. Stay with us.

Fox has renewed the Emmy Award-nominated Bob's Burgers for a fifth season, ordering 22 additional episodes of the hit animated series. The fourth "broadcast" season premiered on Sunday night (Sept. 29). The series is still fulfilling its third season episode order to start this fourth season. The fifth season order will have episodes airing through the 2015-16 season. Last season, Bob's Burgers was a Top 10 comedy among Men 18-49, Men 18-34 and is one of the Top 10 comedies among Male Teens. Additionally, Bob's Burgers was one of only two broadcast comedies to post year-over-year gains (+10%) among Adults 18-49. On the season premiere this past Sunday, "A River Runs Through Bob," Bob (H. Jon Benjamin), Linda (John Roberts) and the kids go on a camping adventure and face the perils of nature...and Bob's intestines.

Bob's Burgers follows the ups and downs of Bob (Benjamin), who runs Bob's Burgers with the help of his wife, Linda (Roberts), and their three kids, Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Louise (Kristen Schaal). Bob has big ideas about burgers, but his family falls short on service. Despite the greasy counters and lousy location, Bob and his family are determined to make every "Grand Re-Re-Re-opening" a success. This past season, the series received its second Emmy Award nomination for "Outstanding Animated Comedy Series."

At last, ABC has announced its fall premiere dates for Fall 2013. 20/20 will officially kick-off its new season on Friday, Sept. 6 at 10pm. The actual series launches will begin on Monday, Sept. 16, as Dancing with the Stars premieres a week earlier than normal from 8-10pm to try and get a head start on the season and now that it doesn't have a Results Show, likely the first elimination will happen towards the end of the second week on Monday night. Dancing's Monday counterpart Castle will launch its new season a week later on the official start of the TV season on Monday, Sept. 23 at 10pm. ABC will launch their Friday series earlier this season, as the last few years they have used an hour on Fridays for encores. This season, all the 8-10pm series will premiere on Friday, Sept. 20 starting with the season premiere of Last Man Standing at 8pm followed by the new night for The Neighbors at 8:30pm. Then it's time to sink or swim with the sharks on an all-new season of Shark Tank at 9|8c leading into 20/20. ABC Tuesday will be brand new from top to bottom and all the shows will premiere on the same night on Tuesday, Sept. 24. First up, is probably the most anticipated new series of the season in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. at 8pm leading into likely the most promising new family comedy of the season (and set in the '80s!), The Goldbergs at 9pm. Fellow new family comedy Trophy Wife will follow at 9:30pm. At 10pm, ABC gambles with Lucky 7, a new drama that is a big swing. The next night, ABC Comedy Wednesday returns on Wednesday, Sept. 25 with a new season of laughs starting with the season premiere of The Middle at 8pm, followed by the series premiere of the new family comedy Back in the Game at 8:30pm. At 9pm, ABC will bring back its tentpole Modern Family with a special one-hour premiere event to launch the second season of the critically-acclaimed drama Nashville at 10pm. ABC's new comedy Super Fun Night starring Rebel Wilson will launch a week later on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 9:30pm.

Onto Thursdays, ABC will launch season ten of Grey's Anatomy with a special two-hour premiere event from 9-11pm on Thursday, Sept. 26. Sizzling drama Scandal will return the following week on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 10pm for its third season. ABC has not announced what will air at 8pm on the first two Thursdays of the season, but the Once Upon a Time spin-off series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland will premiere on Thursday, Oct 10 at 8|7c to try and help this time period. ABC Saturday Night College Football will air all fall on Saturday nights. And finally on Sundays, returning dramas Once Upon a Time and Revenge both return in their 8pm & 9pm time periods on Sunday, Sept. 29. New drama Betrayal will premiere at 10|9c also on Sept. 29. ABC will once again premiere America's Funniest Home Videos on the second week of the season on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 7pm. Probably a Once Upon a Time clip-show or season finale encore will once again air on the first Sunday of the season at 7pm, but stay tuned for details at a later date.

TBS has picked up Twentieth Century Fox Television's animated hit American Dad! as an original series, beginning with the show's 11th season in 2014. Created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, American Dad! will join TBS's primetime lineup in late 2014. Sister network Adult Swim is set to present encores of each episode after initial airings on TBS. American Dad!, which will begin its 10th and final season on the Fox television network this fall, is executive-produced by MacFarlane, Barker and Weitzman. TBS has ordered 15 episodes for season 11. TBS and Adult Swim are no strangers to the Seth MacFarlane universe, having aired reruns of American Dad! and MacFarlane's Family Guy throughout the networks' lineups. TBS currently airs American Dad! reruns weekdays at 1 and 1:30 p.m. (ET/PT). Adult Swim presents reruns of the show Tuesday-Friday at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), Monday-Friday at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT) and Saturdays at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

This is the second Fox comedy to move to cable. First was of course Futurama going from Fox to Comedy central, but that had a cancelation in between. American Dad! has aired non-stop on Fox and will move to TBS immediately following its run on Fox. Since premiering on Fox in 2005, American Dad! has earned several industry accolades, including two Emmy(R) nominations for Outstanding Animated Program, two Annie Award nominations and seven Teen Choice Award nominations. In 2012, it took home the top television series prize at the ASCAP Film & Television Music Awards. Stay with us for continued updates as we get closer to 2014.