SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay (but today it's on a Monday to open up 2022)! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

This TV season, there were a handful of new sitcoms on network TV that I was looking forward to. However, nearly all of them (with the exception of CBS' Ghosts) were held for mid-season, as the networks seem to be prioritizing unscripted shows over sitcoms again. That said, there are two sitcoms that I'm interested in: NBC's American Auto and ABC's Abbott Elementary (both had special preview premieres in December).

American Auto technically already premiered (in a preview role), and the first two episodes have been entertaining. The show is very much in vein of Superstore (which it shares a creator with), and like that show, I expect a few episodes for it to really find its voice. I still miss Superstore and felt it really had another good season or two left in it, so if American Auto can take after it, I'd be very happy. The show does need to find its own identity beyond just being "the new Office/Superstore," but solid performances from its promising cast make it one to keep an eye on.

I'm also very interested in Abott Elementary (which also had its preview premiere in December, that encores tonight at 10pm, episode two premieres tommorow at 9). There have been few sitcoms to take place in elementary schools, so it seems like an interesting new setting for a workplace comedy. It also has gotten really solid reviews and seems to have a very talented cast. With so many sitcoms having ended in the past 2 years, there really haven’t been many new sitcoms to step up and fill their shoes. Let's hope the spring 2022 class can reach that goal.

Betty White tributes started on Saturday, with TV Land airing the first marathon titled "Celebration of Betty White" with marathon blocks of The Golden Girls and Hot in Cleveland rotating all weekend starting 6pm on Saturday and continuing to 6am this morning. TV Land Sitcoms channel on Pluto TV has been airing non-stop Hot in Cleveland all weekend. NBC re-aired Betty's SNL guest host appearance from 2010 on Saturday at 11:35pm. The Hallmark Channel aired a tribute last night titled "The Lost Valentine: Remembering Betty White," an encore of their Hallmark Hall of Fame movie from 2011 from 8-10pm, followed by a The Golden Girls block from 10pm-1am. But there are much more tributes and marathons to come! Today (January 3) all-day from 9am-4am ET, CMT will celebrate the iconic Betty White with The Golden Girls All-Day Marathon featuring back-to-back episodes of some of the best Rose Nylund episodes of all-time. DECADES airs the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Betty White on Friday, January 7 at 9pm ET and select episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and encore presentations of her Celebrity Roast all weekend long beginning Saturday, January 8 at 12pm ET.

MeTV will air a Sunday block for Betty White with four episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, two episodes of Mama's Family and a guest appearance from The Love Boat on Sunday, January 9 from 2-6pm ET/PT. There were planned 100th birthday marathons already scheduled, as we mentioned a few weeks back, but MeTV has moved those Mary Tyler Moore Show episodes to Jan. 9 instead and will no longer do a 100th birthday salute on the 16th. As of now, Hallmark Channel is still airing the Golden Girls marathon from Jan. 15-17.

This Saturday, January 8 starting at 9 a.m. ET, Game Show Network will air an 8-hour marathon of Match Game episodes featuring the golden girl of game shows and America's sweetheart, Betty White. Buzzr will begin their celebration of Betty White on Saturday, January 8, at 10:30 am EST with episodes of Match Game and Match Game PM. They will feature more game shows on January 16 and 17. Keep it right here with continued updates as we get more information from other TV networks/services.

Frasier's back – and he's more exactly the same than ever. Paramount+, the highly anticipated streaming service from ViacomCBS, announced that Kelsey Grammer will reprise his celebrated role as Dr. Frasier Crane in the new original comedy series Frasier. Grammer will executive produce along with writers Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother, The Great Indoors) and Joe Cristalli (Life in Pieces, Perfect Harmony), and Grammnet Productions Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. The series will be produced by CBS Studios in association with Grammnet Productions, exclusively for Paramount+.

Grammer played the role of Dr. Frasier Crane in three different television series – Cheers, Wings and Frasier – tying the record for longest-running television character. The Juilliard-trained, award-winning actor has won six Emmys, three Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Tony Award and has received an astonishing 18 Emmy nominations, eight Golden Globe nominations, 16 Screen Actors Guild nominations and two Tony nominations. He will next begin production on an ABC comedy series opposite Alec Baldwin. Grammer is represented by UTA and Vault Entertainment. With over 6,000 episodes available, comedy is central to Paramount+. The service delivers never-ending laughs with beloved sitcoms, including Frasier, I Love Lucy, Everybody Hates Chris, Strangers with Candy and Cheers, and is introducing a new generation to the funniest families in television, including Family Ties, The Brady Bunch, Young Sheldon, Mom and many more. Stay tuned for much more info on the return of Frasier!

ViacomCBS also announced during its streaming event that the seventh and final season of Darren Star's critically acclaimed, smash-hit, Younger, will be coming soon to Paramount+. The beloved MTV Entertainment Studios comedy created by entertainment icon, Star, will come to a close with the final 12 episodes available at a soon-to-be-announced date on the ViacomCBS streaming platform. Fans will get early access to the final season on Paramount+ before it airs on TV Land later this year. The first six seasons are currently available to stream on the service. Younger follows Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), a talented editor navigating the highly competitive world of publishing while juggling the complications of mixing business with pleasure, and facing the lie she created about her age to land her dream job. Recently, ViacomCBS MTV Entertainment Group announced an expansive overall production and development deal with Star, which will encompass projects for the Group's extensive portfolio for linear and beyond through MTV Entertainment Studios. The first is Netflix's hit series Emily in Paris starring Lily Collins which was recently nominated for two Golden Globes® and is about to go into production on its second season.

The CW Network announced premiere dates for new series Kung Fu and The Republic of Sarah as well as the new season premieres of DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Dynasty and In the Dark. The network also announced new timeslots for Batwoman and Charmed. The new series Kung Fu, starring Olivia Liang, Tzi Ma and Kheng Hua Tan, will debut Wednesday, April 7 at 8:00pm ET/PT followed by an original episode of Nancy Drew at 9:00pm. Riverdale will be on a pre-planned hiatus and is currently scheduled to return for the back half of season five on Wednesday, July 7 at 8:00pm ET/PT (its mid-season finale airs March 31). DC's Legends of Tomorrow is set to make its season six premiere on Sunday, May 2 at 8:00pm ET/PT followed by an original episode of Batwoman which moves to its new time period an hour later at 9:00pm on Sundays. Dynasty returns for its fourth season premiere on Friday, May 7 at 9:00pm ET/PT following an original episode of Charmed at 8:00pm ET/PT as it returns to Fridays.

Season three of In the Dark begins Wednesday, June 9 at 9:00pm ET/PT following an original episode of Kung Fu at 8:00pm ET/PT. Starring Stella Baker and Luke Mitchell, new series The Republic of Sarah premieres Monday, June 14 at 9:00pm ET/PT following an original episode of All American at 8:00pm ET/PT. And finally, the all-new special World's Funniest Animals: Spring Fling will bring on the cuteness Friday, April 30 at 8:00pm ET/PT).

Pop TV announced a first of its kind One Day at a Time animated special. "In my 97 years, I've never known of a multicam comedy to animate a single episode as a special. Even this I get to experience," remarked legendary producer Norman Lear. The critically acclaimed Sony Pictures Television series premiered in March and has grown its ratings week-over-week, setting a new season high with its fourth episode on April 14. In response to COVID-19, production was put on hold so executive producer and co-showrunner Gloria Calderón Kellett landed on the idea of an animated special. Production will be completed remotely and will premiere later this spring. The mid-season finale of One Day at a Time aired last night at 9:30PM ET/PT on Pop TV and was simulcast on TV Land, where it has thrived this season. The One Day at a Time animated special centers around Penelope's conservative family visiting. Penelope dreads that with the election coming up, they won't be able to avoid fighting over politics. The Alvarez family spends the episode discussing strategies of how to get through it, illustrated through fantasy sequences. Jonas Diamond, Executive Producer and Co-Owner of Smiley Guy Studios in Toronto will be overseeing the animation. The cast will all voice their own characters and will be joined by celebrity guests to be announced at a later date.

Yesterday we told you about NBC Tuesdays for summer, now we have details on Monday nights. NBC's hit athletic competition series The Titan Games will begin a new season on Monday, May 25 with a 2-hour episode from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT. Then beginning Monday, June 1, The Titan Games will begin airing in its regularly scheduled Monday 8-9 p.m. timeslot. Executive produced and hosted by Dwayne Johnson, the series offers everyday people a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in epic head-to-head challenges designed to test the mind, body and heart. The series will air through Monday, August 10. Encores will air on Sunday nights at 8pm.

Back to Mondays, NBC will air a new season of The Wall at 9pm hosted by Chris Hardwick starting June 1. The Wall will air on Mondays through July 20 and is currently airing this spring on Sundays at 8pm. Songland will continue into early summer on Mondays at 10pm. NBC summer staple American Ninja Warrior is not on the Monday schedule (or anywhere so far on the schedule) because of the production halt due to COVID-19. Not many episodes were produced, but it could air later this summer if all goes well. NBC has not announced Wednesday and Thursday summer plans yet, as encores (mixed in with Dateline) are slated Fridays through Sundays. 

Pop TV announced "Visit Schitt's Creek" - an immersive pop-up that will put fans directly into their favorite scenes in Schitt's Creek, including Cafe Tropical, the Rosebud Motel, Rose Apothecary and more, bringing the beloved town to life. The free-but-limited-ticket experience will take place in Los Angeles and New York this holiday season. The pop-up will invite fans into the Emmy(R)-nominated show's world with not just recreations of its most iconic sets, but also interactive photo experiences, takeaways, access to limited merchandise and more. Specific dates, locations, ticketing and more information for Pop TV Presents: "Visit Schitt's Creek" will be available soon on www.visitschittscreek.com.

Schitt's Creek's sixth and final season returns with 14 new episodes on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020 at 9:00 PM, ET/PT, and all five seasons are currently available on the network's app, PopNow, at POPTV.com and via cable and satellite video on demand. Co-created by Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy, Schitt's Creek is a half-hour, single-camera comedy starring an ensemble cast including Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Daniel Levy, Annie Murphy, Chris Elliott, Emily Hampshire, Jennifer Robertson, Noah Reid, Dustin Milligan, Sarah Levy and Karen Robinson.

Comedy Central (+5% with P18-49), Paramount Network (+7% with P18-49) and TV Land (+7% with P25-54, +4% with P18-49), led by President Kent Alterman, all recorded share growth for the 2018-19 Viacom fiscal year, which closed on September 30. All three brands also featured top-rated and critically acclaimed original programming throughout the fiscal year (October 2018 - September 2019):

South Park (Comedy Central) is the #1 rated cable comedy of the fiscal year.
Younger (TV Land) is the #1 ad-supported cable comedy among W18-49 and W25-54 during the fiscal year. Season six holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. At TV Land, the brand recorded its highest rated fiscal year since 2013 with P25-54. In addition to the strong ratings of Younger, the brand saw great performance among acquisitions including Two and a Half Men and The King of Queens.
Yellowstone (Paramount Network) was the #1 scripted series across cable and broadcast TV in the key P18-49 and P25-54 demos and the most-watched 2019 summer series on cable TV among total viewers. It's also the brand's most-watched scripted series ever and Viacom's most-watched scripted series since 2010. Season two holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
South Side (Comedy Central) is the #1 new cable comedy of the fiscal year among African American viewers. It is 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
I Am Patrick Swayze (Paramount Network) is cable's #1 personality documentary of 2019.
Comedy Central Stand-Up holds six of the top-10 rated stand-up specials from the fiscal year.

Viacom announced the acquisition of Seinfeld from Sony Pictures Television, in a deal that features the exclusive cable rights for all 180 episodes of the iconic series. Beginning in October 2021, the full library of Seinfeld episodes will air amongst Viacom's entertainment brands, including Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land. Additionally, catch-up episodes will be available through Viacom brands via authenticated video on demand, websites and apps. The deal was closed for an undisclosed sum and a loaf of marble rye after a spirited Festivus feats of strength competition. The move to Viacom networks means TBS will be losing the rights to the series by Fall 2021. TBS has aired the sitcom since 2002, in what was an original 4 year deal for $1 million an episode. TBS has renewed the comedy multiple times after that first deal.

An Emmy and Golden Globe-winner for Best Comedy Series, Seinfeld is one of the most popular, most award-winning and longest-running comedy series of all time. Jerry Seinfeld stars as a stand-up comedian whose life in New York City is made even more chaotic by his quirky group of friends who join him in wrestling with life's most perplexing, yet often trivial questions. Often described as "a show about nothing," Seinfeld mines the humor in life's mundane situations like waiting in line, searching for a lost item, or the trials and tribulations of dating. Co-starring are Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Jerry's ex-girlfriend and current platonic pal, Elaine Benes; Jason Alexander as George Costanza, Jerry's neurotic hard-luck best friend; and Michael Richards as Jerry's eccentric neighbor, Kramer.

And they all lived happily ever after... or did they? CBS All Access, CBS' digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, announced that season two of its psychological thriller Tell Me a Story will premiere on Thursday, Dec. 5. Created by Kevin Williamson, Tell Me a Story takes the world's most beloved fairy tales and reimagines them as a dark and twisted psychological thriller. Exploring an entirely new set of fairy tales and characters, the 10-episode second season will feature the stories of three legendary princesses - "Beauty and the Beast," "Sleeping Beauty" and "Cinderella" - like you've never seen them before. We'll meet the Pruitt family as they navigate love, loss, romance and terror against the iconic backdrop of Music City - Nashville, Tenn.

Filmed on location in Nashville, season two stars Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) as Tucker Reed, Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix, Jessica Jones") as Rebecca Pruitt, Odette Annable (House, Supergirl) as Maddie Pruitt, Eka Darville (Jessica Jones) as Beau Morris, Matt Lauria (Kingdom, Friday Night Lights) as Jackson Pruitt, Natalie Alyn Lind (The Gifted, The Goldbergs) as Ashley Rose Pruitt, and Ashley Madekwe (Salem, Revenge) as Simone Garland. In addition, Danielle Campbell (The Originals) returns to Tell Me a Story this season in a recurring role, as Olivia Moon. Garcelle Beauvais (Spider-Man Homecoming) as Veronica Garland, Caleb Castille (Wu Tang: An American Saga) as Ron, and Christopher Meyer (The Affair) as Derek round out the cast with recurring roles.

TV Land is picking up the critically-acclaimed, Darren Star hit series Younger for a seventh season. The news comes in the middle of its record-breaking sixth season, currently airing Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT only on TV Land. Younger's sixth season debuted on June 12 and recorded its highest-rated season premiere ever in the key P25-54 and W25-54 demos. It was also up +23% among total viewers, with 1.3 million tuning in to the season six premiere. The series remains the top sitcom in cable for the third year in a row among W25-54 and W18-49. With the news of a seventh season, Younger will be TV Land's longest running original series, surpassing Hot in Cleveland.

Younger follows Liza Miller (Foster), a talented editor navigating the highly competitive world of publishing - while juggling the complications of mixing business with pleasure and facing the lie she created about her age to land her dream job. In season six, Kelsey (Duff) is leaning into her new role as publisher at the freshly minted Millennial Print, while Liza and Charles get acclimated to their new normal now that Charles (Hermann) is no longer running the business.

TBS has tapped writer, director and producer Keenen Ivory Wayans to serve as showrunner on season three of The Last O.G., starring Tracy Morgan and Tiffany Haddish. Co-created and executive-produced by Academy Award-winner Jordan Peele, The Last O.G. launched as cable's #1 comedy in 2018 and continues to be a ratings success with season two reaching a multiplatform audience of 32.5 million viewers thus far. Wayans, a New York native, will also direct four episodes in the newest season of the Brooklyn-centric comedy series. Wayans is best known for creating, executive producing and hosting the influential Emmy-winning sketch comedy series In Living Color. The second season of this sitcom just wrapped its 10 episode season in early June. Season three will debut sometime in 2020, likely in spring.

Younger is making its big return this summer (and staying on TV Land and not moving to Paramount Network)! The critically acclaimed, smash-hit series from the Emmy winning writer-producer Darren Star will remain at TV Land when it debuts its upcoming sixth season on Wednesday, June 12 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. In season six, Kelsey (Duff) is leaning into her new role as publisher at the freshly minted Millennial Print, while Liza and Charles get acclimated to their new normal now that Charles (Hermann) is no longer running the business.

Guest stars Tony(R) winner Laura Benanti, Phoebe Dynevor, Michael Urie and recurring cast member Chris Tardio make their returns, and Nicole Ari Parker (Empire) will play Maggie's (Mazar) love interest in a multi-episode arc. Other notable guest stars this season include novelist and screenwriter Michael Cunningham (The Hours), novelist Meg Wolitzer (The Wife) and actresses Becky Ann Baker (Girls), Willa Fitzgerald (Dare Me) and Tony(R) winner Beth Leavel. Additionally, 2018 Critic's Choice supporting actress nominee Miriam Shor, who plays Diana, is confirmed to direct an episode this season. This will be Shor's second time directing the series. Younger stars two-time Tony(R) winner Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, Debi Mazar, Miriam Shor, Nico Tortorella, Peter Hermann, Molly Bernard and Charles Michael Davis and follows Liza Miller (Foster), a talented editor navigating the highly competitive world of publishing - while juggling the complications of mixing business with pleasure and facing the lie she created about her age to land her dream job.

ABC announced that the network has picked up Don't, a new original game show created by Banijay Studios North America and produced by Ryan Reynolds. This comedic physical game follows one family of four who must work together throughout five mental and physical challenges with only one rule: Don't. For example, "Don't Slip," "Don't Forget," "Don't Laugh," "Don't Say It," "Don't Scream" and a slew of "Don't" challenges you didn't even know existed. In each episode, one family will have a set amount of time to succeed in each hilarious task and win a cash prize. When they fail a challenge, they don't earn money and one of them will be eliminated from the game. Family members can be eliminated until only one remains. The last standing relative must complete the rest of the challenges on their own to win money for the family. At the end of the final "Don't" challenge, the money they have been able to earn, if any, is theirs to keep. No word on the premiere date or timeframe, but ABC of course has a slew of game shows for Summer Fun of Games including Celebrity Family Feud, $100,000 Pyramid, To Tell the Truth and the upcoming Card Sharks & Press Your Luck.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Thanksgiving weekend is in full force, and we hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving... and that you're prepared for Christmas, for better or for worse! This week, we're hearing some news about the proposed Sue Heck spinoff of The Middle, a potential change in direction for TV Land, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Mark your calendars! TV Land comedy Teachers returns for its final season on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 10:00pm ET/PT. This will also be the final original series for TV Land. The network's most-talked about series Younger is being moved to sister network Paramount Network for season 6 this spring. Teachers revolves around a group of elementary school teachers who are trying to mold the minds of America's youth, but don't have their own lives together at all. Teachers is created by and stars the improv group The Katydids - Caitlin Barlow (Ms. Cannon), Katy Colloton (Ms. Snap), Cate Freedman (Ms. Feldman), Kate Lambert (Ms. Watson), Katie O'Brien (Ms. Bennigan) and Kathryn Renée Thomas (Mrs. Adler).

This January, TV One will launch CLEO TV, a new aspirational lifestyle and entertainment cable network targeting Millennial and Gen X women of color. Derived from the name Cleopatra, one of the most powerful, trendsetting, rule-breaking and iconic women in history, CLEO TV will offer quality content that defies negative and cultural stereotypes of today's modern women. The network promises a unique and diverse lineup of short and long-form programming that reflects the multifaceted interests of this generation. With a bold, fearless and fresh take, CLEO TV gives multicultural young women a destination for content centered around travel, home design, relationships, finances, cooking, talk shows, movies, docu-series, sitcoms and much more. As previously announced, CLEO TV will be broadly distributed on Comcast Xfinity beginning January 19, 2019. Additional affiliate distribution agreements will be announced in the coming months. CLEO TV launch advertisers include CURLS Beauty Brands.

In addition to its original programs and acquired series, CLEO TV's programming slate will include daily talk show Sister Circle Live and syndicated sitcoms that appeal to young women of color such as Girlfriends and Eve. More info on the other sitcom slate and the full schedule is still to come, stay tuned!

The Goldbergs is coming to TV Land beginning this Sunday (Sept. 23) with a marathon from 2-10pm hosted by Wendi McLendon-Covey, who plays Beverly Goldberg. The marathon episodes features the spoof episodes of The Goonies, Risky Business, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Dirty Dancing and Weird Science, as well as Goldbergs favorite episodes such as "Spaceballs" and "Dinner with the Goldbergs." Then following the marathon, back-to-back episodes will air every night beginning Monday, September 24 at 9:00PM & 9:30PM ET/PT leading into Two and a Half Men and again from 2-3am ET on TV Land. Full episodes will be available on the TV Land app, TVLand.com and on VOD. The Goldbergs already was airing in late night on sister network Nick at Nite but when it comes to TV Land, it will stop airing on Nick at Nite and be replaced by more George Lopez.

The 6th season of The Goldbergs begins next Wednesday (Sept. 26) on ABC at 8pm. The sitcom stars Wendi McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg, Patton Oswalt as voice of adult Adam Goldberg, Sean Giambrone as Adam Goldberg, Troy Gentile as Barry Goldberg, Hayley Orrantia as Erica Goldberg, Sam Lerner as Geoff Schwartz, with George Segal as Pops Solomon and Jeff Garlin as Murray Goldberg.

Freeform announced the start of production on season two of the critically acclaimed comedy series grown-ish. From black-ish executive producer Kenya Barris, grown-ish is a contemporary take on the current issues facing both students and administrators in the world of higher education. Produced by ABC Signature Studios and executive produced by Kenya Barris, Julie Bean, Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry, Craig Doyle, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland and E. Brian Dobbins, season two of grown-ish is set to debut in January 2019. Reprising their roles after a stellar freshman season are Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Trevor Jackson as Aaron Jackson, Francia Raisa as Ana Torres, Emily Arlook as Nomi Segal, Jordan Buhat as Vivek Shah and Deon Cole as "Professor Charles Telphy."

Chloe Bailey and Halle Bailey, real-life sisters who starred as twins and the sporty-savants Jazz Forster and Sky Forster, have been upped to series regulars. Their fan-favorite characters were a staple in the friend group throughout the first season, tackling topical conversations including dating as black women and the cutthroat world of college athletics. Outside of acting, the duo are Chloe x Halle, musical prodigies currently opening for Beyoncé and JAY-Z's "On The Run II" tour. Their debut album, "The Kids Are Alright" (Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records), includes "Grown," the theme song for grown-ish, which they co-wrote. Luka Sabbat also returns as a series regular for season two portraying Luca Hall, a mellow and fashion-forward classmate of Zoey's. While his methods are unconventional and subtle, he vies for Zoey's affection throughout the first season. Finally, reprising his role as Doug is musical artist, rapper and actor Diggy Simmons in a recurring role for season two.

Nick at Nite and TV Land will switch sitcoms come next week. Starting Monday, June 11, TV Land will move Mom to Nick at Nite, while Nick at Nite will move Two and a Half Men to TV Land. Mom will air four episodes every night beginning at 1am on June 11 on Nick at Nite. Meanwhile, TV Land will begin Two and a Half Men on June 11 as well airing every night 10-11pm and 1-2am. There will be a weekend stack next weekend as well on Saturday from 8am-4pm and Sunday from 5pm-11pm. Both sitcoms already air on sister network Paramount Network back-to-back every weekday from 1-7pm leading into Friends. All of this is another case of Viacom-owned network sharing. Mom stars Anna Faris and Academy Award winner Allison Janney and is heading into its sixth season next fall on CBS.

With Roseanne being pulled last week, networks are scrambling to replace the 90's sitcom. CMT will now air '90s sitcom Home Improvement starring Tim Allen weekdays from 2-5pm, leading into Tim Allen's newer sitcom Last Man Standing from 5pm-9pm. CMT has also started airing Full House (yet another case of Viacom network sharing) from 10am-12pm leading into Reba from 12-2pm. Meanwhile, digital broadcast network Laff replaced Roseanne last week with a second stack of Night Court, but that was just a temporary band-aid. Starting tonight, they will air Home Improvement instead in primetime starting at 9pm through 11pm. Home Improvement wasn't slated to premiere until September, but with this Roseanne fiasco, it has been called on a few months earlier instead. "More power" for Home Improvement!

Celebrate this Father's Day with kid at heart Edward Stratton III (Joel Higgins) and his son Ricky (Rick Schroder) with Antenna TV's Dad's Day Out Silver Spoons Father's Day Marathon on Sunday, June 17. Watch father and son balance parenting, growing up and playing with a lot of toys on Father's Day from 5am through 11:30p ET, with 37 episodes of Silver Spoons. Antenna TV’s Dad's Day Out Silver Spoons Father's Day Marathon will air the following episodes:

5:00 AM Pilot
5:30 AM Boys Will Be Boys
6:00 AM Me and Mr. T
6:30 AM Evelyn Returns
7:00 AM Honor Thy Father
7:30 AM Father Nature
8:00 AM Popcorn
8:30 AM Junior Businessman
9:00 AM Three's a Crowd
9:30 AM Hospital
10:00 AM Sounds of Silence
10:30 A Hunting We Will Go
11:00 AM Changes
11:30 AM Hi Mom
12:00 PM St. Louis Blues
12:30 PM Best Friends
1:00 PM Growing Pains (Pt.1)
1:30 PM Growing Pains (Pt.2)
2:00 PM Voyage of the Darnes (Pt.1)
2:30 PM Voyage of the Darnes (Pt.2)
3:00 PM Call of the Wild
3:30 PM Trouble with Grandfather
4:00 PM Beauties and the Beasts
4:30 PM Head Over Heels
5:00 PM Mrs. Stratton Builds Her Dream House
5:30 PM Race with Eagles
6:00 PM Stratton and Stratton
6:30 PM Judgement Day
7:00 PM Way We Weren't
7:30 PM Who's the Boss?
8:00 PM Man to Man
8:30 PM Edward Creates a Monster
9:00 PM Author, Author
9:30 PM Pardon My French
10:00 PM Educating Rick
10:30 PM Edwards Big Adventure
11:00 PM Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Silver Spoons regularly airs on Antenna TV weeknights at 3a ET, Saturdays at 1:30p ET and Sundays at 11a ET.

If you haven't heard the big news from yesterday, here it is. Statement by Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment - Issued on May 29, 2018: "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show." This means ABC has canceled a second season of the Roseanne revival after the horrible tweets (which we will not get into) from Roseanne Barr on Tuesday. The first season had already concluded on May 22. Reruns of The Middle will replace Roseanne reruns this summer, as of yesterday (May 29). No word yet what ABC will do come September when the second season was scheduled to launch. But that's not all -- reruns of the classic Roseanne have also been pulled on all outlets it currently airs on. It's no longer available on Hulu as well. The cable networks of Viacom - TV Land, CMT, and Paramount Network have all pulled the series as of today. And digital broadcast network Laff has also pulled it yesterday, replacing it with more reruns of Night Court. More to come on this, as we await what ABC will do Tuesdays at 8pm this September.

Fillmore Elementary educators are back in session with their hilarious antics when Season three of Teachers premieres Tuesday, June 5 at 10:30pm ET/PT on TV Land, following the season five premiere of Younger. After a much needed long recess, the leaders of the playground are back and ready to conquer a new school year. Last season, Variety hailed the cast, stating, "in terms of acing the midterm, the Katydids have indeed done it," while Bustle said "the female-driven sitcom is hilarious, insightful, and totally cute." The first-look teaser shows the Fillmore Elementary heroines fighting the spread of the vicious and highly contagious lice epidemic. The Teachers are put to the test when the dreaded curse of creepy crawlers enters the classroom, and the question remains - who will make it out alive?

Teachers revolves around a group of elementary school teachers who are trying to mold the minds of America's youth, but don't have their own lives together at all. The series is created by and stars the improv group The Katydids - Caitlin Barlow (Ms. Cannon), Katy Colloton (Ms. Snap), Cate Freedman (Ms. Feldman), Kate Lambert (Ms. Watson), Katie O'Brien (Ms. Bennigan) and Kathryn Renée Thomas (Mrs. Adler). Along with The Katydids, showrunner Ian Roberts executive produce the series. Matt Miller, Alex Fendrich and Matt Abramson are also executive producers.

The CW Network has given early renewals to ten of its primetime series for the 2018-2019 season. The series being ordered for the 2018-2019 season include second seasons of the electrifying freshman hit Black Lightning and Dynasty, which recently saw the debut of Nicollette Sheridan as Alexis Carrington, as well as new seasons of Arrow (Season 7), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season 4), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (Season 4), The Flash (Season 5), Jane the Virgin (Season 5), Riverdale (Season 3), Supergirl (Season 4), and Supernatural (Season 14). Specific premiere dates for each series will be announced at a later time. The CW also recently announced it would expand its primetime schedule to six nights, Sunday-Friday (8:00-10:00pm ET/PT), beginning in October 2018.

In other CW news, the final season of The Originals will now make its debut on a new night, Wednesday, April 18 at 9pm, following the "Carrie The Musical" episode of Riverdale. Following Wednesday's original episode, The CW's new series Life Sentence will return with new episodes on its new night starting Friday April 27 at 9:00pm ET/PT. Prior to its move to Friday, viewers can binge Life Sentence from the beginning on cwtv.com and The CW App. This scheduling move impacts the previously announced season finale dates for Jane the Virgin, which will now air in its regularly scheduled time period on Friday, April 20 at 9:00pm ET/PT, and Dynasty, which will now have its season finale on Friday, May 11 at 8:00pm ET/PT.

After a record-breaking season, TV Land revealed - via a unique interactive video - that its critically-acclaimed series Younger will return for season five on Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at 10pm ET/PT. Younger fans can find the highly-anticipated premiere date hidden within a sneak peek video of the new season using an interactive 360-degree interface. In the video, fans can toggle between sitting with the cast as they read a scene from the upcoming season, to standing on the Younger set, watching the finished scene. In the scene, Liza shares the good news with Kelsey that their soon-to-be-released book, Marriage Vacation, is a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, and Josh joins the conversation and is greeted by Liza for the first time since his wedding in Ireland.

This season, series star Miriam Shor will make her television directorial debut with an episode to air in July and, as previously announced, Charles Michael Davis (The Originals), who plays Kelsey's ex and work rival, Zane Anders, has joined the cast as a series regular. From Sex and the City creator Darren Star and starring two-time Tony(R) winner Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, Debi Mazar, Miriam Shor, Nico Tortorella, Peter Hermann, Molly Bernard and Charles Michael Davis, Younger follows Liza, a woman who lies about her age at her job in the highly competitive world of publishing. As Liza's personal and professional lives have become irreversibly intertwined over time, keeping the secret proves more and more difficult, and she finally reveals the truth to Kelsey, her friend and partner at work. Still, Liza must keep up appearances, as she is torn between her attraction to her boss and the fact that their professional relationship was built on a lie.

Winter Storm Toby may have forced Crown Media Family Networks to cancel its Upfront event Wednesday evening, but it did not stop Bill Abbott, President & CEO, and Ed Georger, EVP of ad sales, from finding a creative way to announce the exciting projects in store for the coming broadcast season. With the help of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ fan-favorites, Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar, the company staged a Facebook live event at 6:30 pm EST against the backdrop of a winter wonderland in Central Park, where they announced several new programming developments for the networks.

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, television's premiere destination for mysteries, has three new original world premiere movies. Audiences will be able to immerse themselves in new whodunits which will include Crossword Mysteries, Picture Perfect and The Chronicle Mysteries. First, Crossword Mysteries with Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott set to premiere in June, the movie is co-created by Will Shortz, crossword editor of The New York Times, puzzle master for NPR's "Weekend Edition Sunday," editor of Games magazine and founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Picture Perfect stars Alexa and Carlos PenaVega. And The Chronicle Mysteries stars Alison Sweeney, as Roberta "Robbie" McPherson a novelist and podcaster who's researching the cold case of Gina DeSavio.

Hallmark Channel's family reality series, Meet the Peetes will return in 2019. The network has ordered a second season of the series. In Meet the Peetes, audiences follow Holly and Rodney's hectic lives as they attempt to balance raising four kids, including one with autism, running their HollyRod charity and spending time with Holly's 81-year-old mother Dolores, retired from her career as a talent manager. Their daughter Ryan is in college at New York University while RJ, their son with autism, is working for the Los Angeles Dodgers. And finally, Hallmark Channel has ordered a sixth season of the network's original, primetime drama series When Calls the Heart.

Champions - Thursdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Skees

Vince (Anders Holm) would love to be living "the dream," but when his father died, his dream was pushed aside when he and his brother, Matthew (Andy Favreau), take over the gym that his father owned. Now, he has the opportunity to sell the gym and move to Florida... until an ex (special guest star Mindy Kaling) from about a dozen years ago arrives at the front door with the son (J.J. Totah) that he never knew he had.

Cast Details:

Anders Holm as Vince
Andy Favreau as Matthew
J.J. Totah as Michael
Mouzam Makkar as Britney
Fortune Feimster as Ruby
Yassir Lester as Shabaz

Anders Holm (Vince) came to fame from the Comedy Central series Workaholics, where he was both a creator and a star. He also had a recurring role on The Mindy Project.

Andy Favreau (Matthew) has had guest roles in series including Will & Grace, The Mick, and 2 Broke Girls, among others. He is also the brother of Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for President Barack Obama.

J.J. Totah (Michael) made his debut on Kroll Show and also was among the regular cast in the short-lived ABC series, Back in the Game. He also appeared in four episodes of the final season of Glee.

Mouzzam Makkar (Britney) comes from working on the stage, but she has appeared in episodes of The Vampire Diaries, 9JKL, Bones, among many other series.

Fortune Feimster (Ruby) made her debut on Last Comic Standing, but has also co-starred on The Mindy Project and had a recurring role on Life in Pieces. She also appeared on many Chelsea Lately episodes.

Yassir Lester (Shabaz) is an improv comic who has been seen on TV on The Carmichael Show and Key and Peele.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs March 8 at 9:30PM ET)

Vince and Matthew are brothers who've been running the gym that their father ran for the past several years, and Vince is ready to move on. In fact, he even decides to sell he gym. But meanwhile, a woman, Priya, is in New York, trying to get her drama loving son Michael enrolled in a special school for talented young kids. And before Vince knows it, Priya and Michael are knocking on the door with a surprise that is going to change his life forever.

"I Think I'm Gonna Tolerate it Here" (Airs March 15 at 9:30PM ET)

With Michael now living with Vince and Matthew full-time, it seems they've got a big problem: he has no bedroom to call his own. Even worse, it turns out he is absolutely insufferable to live with, and a major slob. Meanwhile, Vince needs to come up with $5000 in just a few days or else he is going to lose the gym. They're going to have to solve both of these problems, perhaps with a single solution?

"Lumps" (Airs March 22 at 9:30PM ET)

There's a new gym in town and they're taking all of the ladies from Champions gym. And it's going to take an all out battle to bring them back, with Michael helping Vince and Matthew know what the ladies want.

Analysis:

This is definitely one of those series where the name of the doesn't really tell viewers anything about the series, and from what I've seen, the advertising doesn't really do too great of a job of that either. So that may make it a little difficult to bring in viewers for the first time. But to be clear, the premise is rather simple: two guys are raising a kid and running a gym.

This is far from the first time that there has been a series about a guy (or two guys) raising estranged kids. Even though this is a much different series, the premise of two guys raising a children was the entire basis of My Two Dads. And the premise of a father raising an older child that he wasn't even aware that he had was the entire basis of Silver Spoons. So the series definitely has elements of both of those, even though the main twist here is that the kid isn't your typical kid, he's a gay half-Indian who wants to make it big in showbiz, and can be difficult to live with at times. That's what makes the series stand out. If he was just another boring cookie cutter Ricky Stratton or Nicole Bradford, it would be a tired plot at this point.

The home life, of course, is not all the series is about. There is also what goes on at work in the gym, and honestly, that too could almost make a series by itself. Those scenes become a lot like workplace comedies such as The Office or Superstore, although those series seem to have an eclectic group of coworkers with some actually being level-headed and normal. It seems that the gym has nobody who is truly like that, and that everybody is dysfunctional. But why not? There's no need to be another cookie cutter office comedy.

It's definitely a unique premise for a TV series, and while the first few episodes do have a few rough edges to work out, it definitely has some potential.

Conclusion:

This certainly wasn't a bad pilot, although I can't say it is the best one that I've ever seen either. I think the real question when it comes to whether or not this show can succeed is whether or not it can fit into the NBC lineup appropriately, and it's really tough to answer that question one way or the other. It really feels like it fits more into the mold of the single camera sitcoms that have aired on Fox in recent years, such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Mindy Project (that probably shouldn't be too surprising since Mindy Kaling also serves as executive producer here), The Mick, etc. But at the same time, it's probably fair to say that any sitcom could fit into the NBC lineup, as their entire roster of current successful sitcoms consists of just Superstore (not exactly a runaway hit, but it has an audience and lasting power) and Will & Grace (not at all a fresh series).

Ultimately, it's a fun series that's worth giving a chance. The first three episodes give me hope that it could be a good series, but I'll be watching to see where it goes from there, and it's at least worth giving the series a fair shot.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

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

Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Champions Photo Gallery

Preview:

A former TV Land comedy is getting a new home. And soon. Original scripted comedy Nobodies starring Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf, and Rachel Ramras premieres Thursday, March 29 at 10pm ET/PT now on the Paramount Network. Series executive produced by Ben Falcone, Melissa McCarthy and Michael Macdonald adds Mark-Paul Gosselaar as recurring role. Second Season features appearances by Kristin Wiig, Sia, Leslie Bibb, Cedric The Entertainer, Michael MacDonald, Ben Falcone, and Melissa McCarthy.

Nobodies follows Groundlings alums Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf, and Rachel Ramras as they navigate life on the outskirts of fame and try - again - to "make it" in Hollywood; with help from their more-famous friends. The season 2 trailer showcases appearances from the stars' real-life friends including Kristin Wiig, Sia, Leslie Bibb, Cedric The Entertainer, and executive producers Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy. Gosselaar will appear in all 12 episodes. The 12-episode half-hour comedy series is executive produced by Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone (through their On the Day productions) with Michael MacDonald (MADtv) serving as Executive Producer, Director, and Showrunner, and is written and executive produced by stars Davidson, Dorf, and Ramras.

This President's Day (Monday, Feb. 19, 2018), tune into TV Land for M*A*S*H President's Day Marathon. The marathon will air from 11am-8pm. The sitcom airs regularly every weeknight from 6pm-8pm. The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable. Nevertheless, the war goes on. The series stars Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Loretta Swit, Larry Linville, Gary Burghoff, Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan, Jamie Farr, William Christopher, David Ogden Stiers, Edward Winter, and Allan Arbus.

The Prince of Peoria a new live action, multi-cam Kids & Family original, produced by Netflix has now been ordered with 16 episodes. In the sitcom, when Emil, a 13-year-old prince from a wealthy island kingdom, travels to the U.S. to live incognito as an exchange student, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with Teddy, a fastidious overachiever who is Emil's total opposite. No casting info is available yet. And there are no details yet on when the series will be available on Netflix just yet. Stay tuned for more info on when it will be available and also who will star in it.