SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We are in those awkward few weeks between the unofficial end of summer and official end of summer, and we're here with news of two cancelled series (one on TBS and the other on Netflix), a new drama for NBC that sounds similar to a recent news story, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

MeTV is pleased to announce the network return of the 15-time Emmy Award-winning series The Dick Van Dyke Show. Airing back-to-back on Sunday nights at 11 & 11:30PM beginning Sunday, May 5, the memorable comedy classic will premiere with a special five-week event titled "Pick Van Dyke," showcasing creator Carl Reiner's top 10 episodes. The iconic series culminates a night of nostalgic television on America's #1 classic television network, with episodes of MeTV's new original series Collector's Call, hosted by Lisa Whelchel (The Facts of Life), at 10PM | 9C, followed by the rarely seen, early episodes of The Carol Burnett Show at 10:30PM. Other changes for MeTV in May include changes to Saturday late fringe, with Star Trek replacing Lost in Space at 10pm, The Invaders replacing Star Trek at 12am and Lost in Space replacing Kolchak at 1am. On Sunday nights (in addition to Dick Van Dyke replacing Night Gallery), Thriller will now air 2am-4am ET, replacing The Fugitive and The Untouchables. No other changes are occurring to the schedule.

Across 158 half-hour episodes, The Dick Van Dyke Show followed the work and home life of Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke), head comedy writer for the fictional variety series The Alan Brady Show, starring Alan Brady (Carl Reiner), with plots inspired by Carl Reiner’s real-life experiences as a writer for the live variety show Your Show of Shows and the sketch-comedy series Caesar’s Hour. Mary Tyler Moore portrayed Rob’s wife, Laura Petrie, and earned two Primetime Emmy Awards for her performance.

Season four of the off-the-wall family comedy, The Detour, will premiere on Tuesday, June 18 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on TBS. Created, written and executive produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour is an all-too-honest look at the family dynamic. Jones stars in the acclaimed comedy alongside the lovely Natalie Zea and the kids Ashley Gerasimovich and Liam Carroll. Described as "hilariously surreal" (TV Insider) and "a truly wild ride" (TV Guide), season three reached more than 25 million viewers across TBS linear, digital, mobile and on-demand platforms and was a top 10 cable comedy in 2018. Season four finds the wildly dysfunctional Parker family on an epic world-wide search for their runaway teen daughter, Delilah. From Tibet to Paraguay and everywhere in between, The Parkers will stop at nothing to get their baby girl back – and piss off everyone in the process.

CBS 2018-19

Fall 2018

Mondays
8:00PM The Neighborhood (NEW!)
8:30PM Happy Together (NEW!)
9:00PM Magnum P.I. (NEW!)
10:00PM Bull (new time)

Tuesdays
8:00PM NCIS
9:00PM FBI (NEW!)
10:00PM NCIS: New Orleans

Wednesdays
8:00PM Survivor
9:00PM SEAL Team
10:00PM Criminal Minds

Thursdays
8:00PM The Big Bang Theory
8:30PM Young Sheldon
9:00PM Mom
9:30PM Murphy Brown (NEW!)
10:00PM S.W.A.T.

Fridays
8:00PM MacGyver
9:00PM Hawaii Five-O
10:00PM Blue Bloods

Saturdays
8:00PM Crimetime Saturday (encores)
9:00PM Crimetime Saturday (encores)
10:00PM 48 Hours

Sundays
7:00PM 60 Minutes
8:00PM God Friended Me (NEW!)
9:00PM NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00PM Madam Secretary

 
Unscheduled Mid-Season 2019:
COMEDY: Fam
DRAMA: The Code, The Red Line
REALITY:
Returning Series: Elementary, Instinct, Life in Pieces, Man with a Plan, Celebrity Big Brother, The Amazing Race

NOTES: CBS features three new comedies, five new dramas and the return of the critically acclaimed Murphy Brown. They will once again present original programming throughout the full season, rolling out new dramas The Code and The Red Line; new comedy Fam, and returning favorites Elementary, Instinct, Life in Pieces, Man with a Plan, Celebrity Big Brother and the award-winning reality series The Amazing Race.

Discuss CBS's 2018-19 lineup and view the full press release.

TBS has ordered up another season of hilarious misadventures with TV's most dysfunctional family. After a bonkers road-trip, a disastrous move to New York City, and a run from the law in Alaska, the Parkers will be back for a fourth season of The Detour, one of cable's top 10 comedies. With the return of The Detour, TBS is building on the extraordinary success of a 100% renewal rate since the network's rebrand in 2016. Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour is an all-too-honest look at the family dynamic. Jones stars in the acclaimed comedy with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich and Liam Carroll. Season 3 reached more than 25 million viewers across TBS' linear, VOD and digital platforms, reaching an increase of 74% in digital views.

TBS' hilarious comedy The Detour returns for an all-new season on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 10:30pm ET/PT. Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour is an all-too-honest look at the family dynamic. Jones stars in the acclaimed comedy with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll, Daniella Pineda and Laura Benanti. Season 3 finds the Parkers on the lam in Alaska. After months of running, the family finally finds a community of misfits and decides to settle down and start rebuilding their lives. But they're not out of the woods, as the law isn't far behind. While Nate and Robin learn to take on new roles in the family, Delilah starts to become a young woman. And Jareb...well he’s still Jareb. Well intentioned, bad parenting at its best in the Land of the Midnight Sun.

I Love Lucy Christmas Special, a new one-hour special featuring two back-to-back colorized episodes of the classic series, will be broadcast Friday, Dec. 22 from 8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. I Love Lucy Christmas Special features "The Christmas Episode" and the newly colorized "The Fashion Show." Both were colorized with a nod to the 1950s period in which they were filmed. The main titles and end credits are seamlessly combined into one set at the beginning and end of the hour, with no interruption between the episodes. "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 Ricardos' son, Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux). Flashbacks 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 broadcast on CBS on Christmas Eve, 1956. The episode was not included in the series' long history of rebroadcasts, first on CBS Daytime and later in syndication. Long thought to be lost, the program was rediscovered by CBS in 1989.

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Now In Living Color!, a new one-hour special with two newly colorized back-to-back classic episodes of the beloved 1960s series, will be broadcast Friday, Dec. 22 from 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. Series creator and co-star Carl Reiner personally selected the two episodes to showcase the tremendous comedic talents of the late Mary Tyler Moore. The special features the season one episode "My Blonde-Haired Brunette," written by Reiner, and the season three episode "October Eve," written by Bill Persky and Sam Denoff. 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 Emmy Award-winning series starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore as television comedy writer Rob and his wife Laura Petrie; Larry Matthews as their son Ritchie; Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie as Buddy Sorrell and Sally Rogers, co-writers on the fictional "The Alan Brady Show"; Carl Reiner as Alan Brady; Richard Deacon as Mel Cooley; Jerry Paris as Dr. Jerry Helper; and Ann Morgan Guilbert as Millie Krumbermacher Helper.

Turner's TBS has renewed three of the network's most recent hit original comedy series: The Guest Book, People of Earth and Wrecked. All three shows rank among the top 10 cable comedies with adults 18-49 in Live +7, and The Guest Book is cable's #1 new comedy series of the year. The network's summer series join TBS' previous 2017 renewals, including the dysfunctional family comedy The Detour and police procedural spoof Angie Tribeca.

The Guest Book emerged from Emmy® winner Greg Garcia's habit of writing fictitious stories in the guest books of various rental cabins in an effort to freak out the next renters. Season one stars Garret Dillahunt, Carly Jibson, Kellie Martin, Charlie Robinson, Aloma Wright, Lou Wilson, Laura Bell Bundy and Eddie Steeples as residents of a small mountain town who interact with visitors renting vacation home 'Froggy Cottage.' Executive-produced by Emmy® winners Conan O'Brien and Greg Daniels along with creator David Jenkins and showrunner Norm Hiscock, People of Earth centers on a support group for alien abductees in Beacon, N.Y. In season two, StarCrossed's members must reckon with the arrival of FBI Agent Alex Foster and the discovery that they were all previously abducted as children. The ensemble cast stars Wyatt Cenac, Ana Gasteyer, Nasim Pedrad, Oscar
 Nuñez, Michael Cassidy, Alice Wetterlund, Luka Jones, Brian Huskey, Nancy Lenehan, Tracee Chimo, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Björn Gustafsson and Ken Hall. In season two of the hit survival comedy Wrecked, pirates invade the island. This is bad news for Danny, Owen and the other stranded airline passengers, who've only recently recovered from the loss of wi-fi, indoor plumbing and Steve's attempted takeover of the island. Season two stars Asif Ali, Zach Cregger, Rhys Darby, Brooke Dillman, Will Greenberg, Jessica Lowe, Ally Maki and Brian Sacca.

Everyone needs a happy place and Hallmark Channel offers viewers the perfect escape with the network's premier programming event, "Countdown to Christmas." The annual, 24/7 holiday programming schedule showcases a record 21 new, original holiday premiere movies that are sure to help even the biggest Scrooge recapture the Christmas spirit. From Friday, October 27, until Sunday, December 31, audiences will be able to immerse themselves in feel-good holiday fare throughout the season. Even as the temperatures drop around the country, viewers will be reminded that true love can still burn brightly - even when it's freezing. Whether a returning favorite from holidays past or brand-new yuletide offering, Hallmark Channel's schedule is brimming with tales of love, family and joy.

Returning to spread Christmas cheer are Hallmark Channel's "Queens of Christmas," Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House) and Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls), who have each previously appeared in five original, world premiere Christmas movies for the network. The star-studded lineup leading the new, original movies continues with Catherine Bell (Army Wives, JAG), Lori Loughlin (Fuller House), Alison Sweeney (Days of Our Lives), Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years), Alexa PenaVega (Spy Kids franchise), Carlos PenaVega (The Loud House) and Jodie Sweetin (Fuller House).

Turner's TBS has ordered a third season of its hit comedy series The Detour, cable's most watched original comedy for the year-to-date. Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour is an all-too-honest look at the family dynamic. Jones stars in the acclaimed comedy with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll and Daniella Pineda. TBS closed out the second season of The Detour last night with a new episode at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), followed by the super-sized season finale, which was presented with limited commercial interruption at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT). In its first season, The Detour drew an audience of 4.4 million viewers per episode across multiple platforms and ranked as one of cable's Top 3 new comedies of 2016 with adults 18-49, drawing 1.2 million in the demo. The second season currently ranks as cable's #1 scripted comedy among total viewers for the year-to-date and #2 among adults 18-49.

The Detour centers on a family of four led by Nate (Jones) and his wife, Robin (Zea). At the opening of the second season, Nate pursues a promising job opportunity and moves the family to New York City for a fresh start. Everyone is excited except for Robin, who knows that a move to the big city means her mysterious past may catch up with her. While Nate and Robin adjust to new jobs, new neighbors and old flames, Jared (Carroll) and Delilah (Gerasimovich) dive headfirst into the awkwardness of adolescence. Despite questionable parenting and terrible decisions, the love the Parkers have for each other will keep the family intact as they endure another disastrous adventure. In addition to its regular cast, the second season of The Detour features a number of special guests, including series executive producer and co-creator Samantha Bee, James Cromwell, John Oliver, Laura Benanti, Jeffrey Vincent Parise and Max Casella.

Legendary comedian Harpo Marx and motion picture star Van Johnson are the guests on The New I Love Lucy Superstar Special, a new one-hour special featuring two colorized back-to-back episodes of the 1950s series, to be broadcast Friday, May 19 from 9:00-10:00PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. The two episodes, "The Dancing Star," featuring Van Johnson, and "Harpo Marx," with comedian Harpo Marx, are newly colorized with a nod to the 1950s period in which they were filmed. This is similar to episodes presented in I Love Lucy specials on the Network the past few spring and holiday seasons. Previously only shown in two installments, the episodes tell a continuous story and will be presented as one hour for the first time. As with the previous specials, the main titles and end credits are seamlessly combined into one set at the beginning and end of the hour.

I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, and Vivian Vance and William Frawley as the Ricardos' best friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz. Doris Singleton appears in both episodes as Lucy's friend, Caroline Appleby. Of course the legendary sitcom aired on CBS from Oct. 15, 1951 until June 24, 1957. It was voted "the best TV show of all time" in a 2012 viewer poll conducted by People magazine and ABC News.

TeleXitos, the national Spanish-language multicast network that delivers action-adventure series and feature films without subtitles, announced that Airwolf and Knight Rider will air on the network for the first time beginning Monday, January 2, 2017. Airwolf will kick off TeleXitos' primetime hour at 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT and Knight Rider will follow at 9 PM ET / 8 PM CT. Making their Spanish-language debut in the United States, Airwolf tells the story of "Stringfellow Hawke," a renegade pilot that makes a deal with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to find his missing brother. Originally aired in 1984 and starring Jan-Michael Vincent, the show's major player is the high-tech military designed helicopter, "Airwolf" operated by Stringfellow Hawke and his operatives on their espionage missions.

The 1980's classic show, Knight Rider, starring David Hasselhoff in his breakout role as a crime fighter, features the fan-favorite artificially intelligent Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, KITT. The series made its original debut on NBC in 1982 and aired for four years. Viewers can tune in to TeleXitos to watch Michael Knight and KITT take down criminals who operate above the law. Launched in December 2014, TeleXitos features action-adventure programming in Spanish-language, without subtitles. The network is available in 21 markets, including Los Angeles (KVEA), New York (WNJU), Miami (WSCV), Houston (KTMD), Dallas-Fort Worth (KXTX), Chicago (WSNS), San Antonio (KVDA), San Francisco Bay Area (KXTX), Phoenix (KTAZ), Harlingen (KTLM), Sacramento (KCSO), Fresno (KNSO), Philadelphia (WWSI), Denver (KDEN), Boston (WNEU), Atlanta (WKTB), Las Vegas (KBLR), Tucson (KHRR), Hartford (WRDM), Salt Lake City (KTMW). Additionally, viewers in West Palm Beach (FL) market will be able to watch the new TeleXitos programming over-the-air or on Xfinity channel 229.

TBS's hit comedy series The Detour is making its way back for its second season, slated to launch with back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour stars Jones, along with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll and Daniella Pineda. During the second season of this all-too-honest look at the family dynamic, Nate (Jones) receives a promising job opportunity, and the family moves to New York City for a fresh start. Everyone is excited except for Robin (Zea), who knows that a move to the big city means her mysterious past may catch up with her. While Nate and Robin adjust to new jobs, new neighbors and old flames, Jared (Carroll) and Delilah (Gerasimovich) dive headfirst into the awkwardness of adolescence. Despite questionable parenting and terrible decisions, the love the Parkers have for each other will keep the family intact as they endure another disastrous adventure.

The second season of The Detour will feature a number of special guests, including series executive producer and co-creator Samantha Bee, as well as James Cromwell, John Oliver, Laura Benanti, Jeffrey Vincent Parise and Max Casella. The second season of The Detour is executive-produced by Jason Jones, Samantha Bee, Brennan Shroff and Tony Hernandez.

Turner's TBS is preparing to cap its banner year with a week-long binge of the network's hit slate of original comedies. Kicking off Christmas night at 11 p.m. (ET/PT), the 121-hour TBS Binge-A-Thon will showcase every episode of the hit series Angie Tribeca, The Detour, Wrecked, People of Earth and Search Party, all of which have garnered tremendous praise from critics and rank among cable's Top 25 new scripted comedy series of 2016 among adults 18-49. At the center of the TBS Binge-A-Thon will be a nightly primetime showcase, which will shine a spotlight on a different series each night, with a full season of episodes presented with limited commercials from 7:30 p.m. – midnight (ET/PT). The primetime showcase will kick off with the first season of The Detour on Monday, followed by Search Party on Tuesday, People of Earth on Wednesday, Wrecked on Thursday and the second season of Angie Tribeca on Friday. The non-primetime portions of the TBS Binge-A-Thon will be packed with additional full-season stacks of each show airing in rotation around the clock through Friday, Dec. 30.

TBS's new original comedies are part of an extensive brand evolution that began in January with a 25-hour binge premiere for Angie Tribeca. The acclaimed cop show parody was the first of six consecutive hits for the network, which also includes Full Frontal with Samantha Bee in February, The Detour in April, Wrecked in July, People of Earth in October and, most recently, Search Party in November. All six shows have been renewed for new seasons in 2017.

TBS Binge-A-Thon: The Schedule

Sunday, Dec. 25
11 p.m. – 4 a.m.: People of Earth

Monday, Dec. 26
4 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: Angie Tribeca (Season 1 selections + Season 2)
9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Search Party
2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Wrecked
7:30 p.m. – Midnight: Primetime Showcase: The Detour
Midnight – 4:35 a.m.: Search Party

Tuesday, Dec. 27
4:35 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: Wrecked
9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Angie Tribeca (Season 2)
2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: The Detour
7:30 p.m. – Midnight: Primetime Showcase: Search Party
Midnight – 4:35 a.m.: People of Earth

Wednesday, Dec. 28
4:35 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: Angie Tribeca (Season 1)
9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.: The Detour
2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Search Party
7:30 p.m. – Midnight: Primetime Showcase: People of Earth
Midnight – 4:35 a.m.: Wrecked

Thursday, Dec. 29
4:35 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: The Detour
9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Search Party
2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: People of Earth
7:30 p.m. – Midnight: Primetime Showcase: Wrecked
Midnight – 4:35 a.m.: Angie Tribeca (Season 1)

Friday, Dec. 30
4:35 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: Search Party
9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.: People of Earth
2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Wrecked
7:30 p.m. – Midnight: Primetime Showcase: Angie Tribeca (Season 2)
(All times ET/PT)

Welsh actor Bernard Fox, who was best known for his role as Dr. Bombay in Bewitched, has died. He died on December 14 of heart failure at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, California. Mr. Fox was 89.

Fox first appeared in Bewitched as a professional witch debunker named Osgood Rightmire in the 1966 episode Disappearing Samantha. He played witch doctor Dr. Bombay in 18 episodes of the series from 1967-1972. He reprised the role in two episodes of Tabitha in 1977-1978. Fox appeared as Dr. Bombay in two episodes of the supernatural-themed daytime soap opera Passions in 1999-2000. In 1999, he was interviewed for the E! True Hollywood Story on Bewitched.

He guest starred as Colonel Rodney Crittendon in eight episodes of Hogan's Heroes from 1965-1970. Colonel Crittendon was a Royal Air Force group captain whose medals include the Distinguished Service Order, Order of the British Empire, Military Cross and Bar, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Force Cross. He played the dual role of British traitor Sir Charles Chitterly in the two-part episode Lady Chitterly's Lover in 1970.

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Make Room for Daddy, McHale's Navy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, F Troop, I Dream of Jeannie, The Farmer's Daughter, The Monkees, The Partridge Family, Love, American Style, Soap, M*A*S*H, What's Happening!!, The Love Boat, The Jeffersons, Punky Brewster and Dharma & Greg.

His drama guest appearances included Perry Mason, I Spy, Burke's Law, Twelve O'Clock High, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, The Wild Wild West, Daniel Boone, It Takes a Thief, Ironside, Night Gallery, Columbo, Barnaby Jones, Emergency!, Cannon, Fantasy Island, The Dukes of Hazzard, Lou Grant, Hart to Hart, Knight Rider, Hotel, Simon & Simon, The Fall Guy, Riptide and Murder, She Wrote.

Fox was also known for his role as Colonel Archibald Gracie IV in the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic. He delivered the line "Iceberg dead ahead, sir!" while playing the part of a sailor in the ship's crow's nest. He starred as Captain Winston Havlock in the 1999 film The Mummy. Some of his other film credits included Yellowbeard, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo and The Private Eyes. He provided the voice of the Chairmouse in the Disney animated features The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under.

Survivors include his wife, Jacqueline; daughter Amanda; daughter-in-law Lisa, and two grandchildren. His daughter Valerie died on May 17, 2006.

Mr. Fox was a fine character actor. He was everywhere in the 1960s with his distinguished mustache. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us during his lengthy career. He will be greatly missed.

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

Turner's TBS ends an impressive and transformative year with renewals of all six of its 2016 scripted comedies. The network announced 10-episode season 2 renewals of its two most recent critically acclaimed comedies, People of Earth and Search Party, which join the network's previous 2016 renewals of Angie Tribeca, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Detour and Wrecked, in addition to comedy mainstays Conan and American Dad! To reach younger viewers Search Party launched with a unique binge of the entire first season over Thanksgiving week, drawing more than 1.1M viewers per episode across all platforms over five days and growing. The show performed especially strong with millennials with 18% of its audience in the adults 18-34 demo. On VOD Search Party was the fastest TBS original to reach 1M views and delivered the youngest, most diverse audience of any TBS original. The dark comedy about a group of 20-something New Yorkers has garnered a 100% Fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.com, and landed on best of 2016 lists including Vanity Fair, Vulture, Yahoo!, Daily Beast, The Guardian and more. The complete first season of Search Party is now available on tbs.com, TBS On Demand and the Watch TBS mobile app. Another binge of the entire first season is scheduled to premiere during the week between Christmas and New Year's.

Since premiering Halloween night, People of Earth has ranked one of the year's Top 10 new cable comedies among adults 18-49 and is currently reaching 4.3 million viewers per episode across all platforms. The series has continued to grow throughout the season, with episode seven hitting a season high up 28 percent vs. the season average. People of Earth, airing Mondays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) from Emmy® winners Conan O'Brien and Greg Daniels, along with creator David Jenkins stars an ensemble cast led by Wyatt Cenac as a reporter investigating a support group for alien abductees. Looking ahead, The Detour is set to start its second season in February, followed by the third season of Angie Tribeca in the spring, the second seasons of Wrecked and Search Party in the summer and the second season of People of Earth later in the year. In addition, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee will continue its weekly look at news and issues as it moves to a new night, Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT), starting January 11. Those shows will be joined in 2017 by the new comedy anthology The Guest Book.

Sticking to Turner news. Turner's TNT has given a series greenlight to Claws, a midnight-dark, wickedly funny meditation on female badness set in a South Florida nail salon. Niecy Nash (Getting On, The Soul Man), Carrie Preston (True Blood), Harold Perrineau (Lost, OZ), Jenn Lyon (Justified), Judy Reyes (Scrubs, Devious Maids), Jack Kesy (The Strain), Karrueche Tran (The Nice Guys), Kevin Rankin (Dallas Buyers Club, Friday Night Lights) and Jason Antoon (Famous in Love) star in the hour-long dramedy from executive producers Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca), Will McCormack (Toy Story 4) and Janine Sherman Barrois (ER, Criminal Minds), who also serves as showrunner.

Claws follows the rise of five diverse and treacherous manicurists working at the Nail Artisan of Manatee County salon, where there is a lot more going on than silk wraps and pedicures. At the center is salon owner Desna (Niecy Nash), who lives with and cares for her mentally ill twin brother, Dean (Harold Perrineau). Desna's staff includes best friend Jennifer (Jenn Lyon), a tenuously sober ex-party girl raising two children from previous relationships; Quiet Ann (Judy Reyes), Desna's enigmatic driver who also provides security for the salon; Polly (Carrie Preston), a mild-mannered preppy who recently served time in prison for identity theft; and Virginia (Karrueche Tran), who makes no effort to hide her boredom and impatience with her job.

ABC has announced most of its 2016 summer schedule. New series include sitcom Uncle Buck, To Tell the Truth (hosted by black-ish star Anthony Anderson) and The $100,000 Pyramid (hosted by GMA's Michael Strahan). The 2016 ESPYS return to the network line-up and returning are Bachelor in Paradise, Mistresses, Celebrity Family Feud, BattleBots and the CMA Music Festival to the previously announced The Bachelorette. ABC has not announced a premiere date for second season drama Secrets & Lies yet. The following are the premiere dates:

Thursday, May 26
8:00–10:00 p.m. 500 Questions

Monday, May 30
10:00-11:00 p.m. Mistresses

Saturday, June 11
9:00–11:00 p.m. O.J.: Made In America – Part 1

Tuesday, June 14
8:00-9:00pm To Tell the Truth (Sneak Peak)
9:00-9:30 p.m. Uncle Buck (New Series Premiere)
9:30-10:00 p.m. Uncle Buck
10:00–11:00 p.m. To Tell the Truth (New Series Premiere)

Thursday, June 23
8:00-10:00 p.m. BattleBots

Sunday, June 26
8:00-9:00 p.m. Celebrity Family Feud
9:00-10:00 p.m. The $100,000 Pyramid (New Series Premiere)

Wednesday, July 13
8:00-11:00 p.m. The 2016 ESPYS

Tuesday, August 2
8:00-10:00 p.m. Bachelor in Paradise

Wednesday, August 3
8:00-11:00 p.m. CMA Music Festival

Monday, August 8
8:00-10:00 p.m. Bachelor in Paradise (Time Period Premiere)

Tuesday, August 9
8:00-9:00 p.m. Bachelor in Paradise
9:00-10:00 p.m. Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise

TBS, a division of Turner, has another comedy hit on its hands with The Detour, which shot out of the starting gate last week to rank as cable's #1 new comedy series of the year among adults 18-49. TBS announced two weeks ago that it has already ordered a 13-episode second season of The Detour. The show marks the latest in a string of acclaimed hits launched by the network this year, a growing list that includes Angie Tribeca and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. New episodes of The Detour premiere each Monday at 9/8c on TBS, tbs.com and the Watch TBS mobile app, with availability on TBS On Demand and TV providers' websites and apps the next day. The Detour is an often too honest look at the family dynamic and the chaos that erupts from not being truthful with the ones we love. Starring Jason Jones, Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich and Liam Carroll.

Here are some of the highlights from The Detour's early success:

The Detour is reaching an average of 5.3 million viewers across TBS platforms through its first two episodes (the April 11 premiere, which was followed immediately by the second episode).
The Detour's reach includes 1.5 million viewers and 848,000 adults 18-49 in Live + 3 delivery, the latter making it cable's top new comedy series with young adults for the year-to-date.
The Detour has drawn a large number of viewers through time-shifted viewing, with the first two episodes charting a +37% increase among adults 18-49 in Live + 3 vs. Live + Same Day.
Success for The Detour extends beyond the television screen to include exceptional digital and social media engagement. Leading up to last week's launch, the show drew 39 million social media impressions through Facebook and Twitter.
TBS also made the pilot available to watch via social media the weekend prior to show's launch, scoring a total of 8.7 million video views across Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've learned that Melissa McCarthy has a new gig (that is also really an old gig), we said goodbye to American Idol (or at least we think we did), and we've learned what Shout! Factory has in store for DVD releases in July. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• A very unexpected release was announced this week as Shout! Factory announced they would be bringing the 1960s legal drama (which also inspired a short-lived revival on CBS in 2010) The Defenders to DVD. The classic series starred E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed, and aired from 1961 until 1965. The Defenders - Season One arrives on DVD on July 12.
• Shout! Factory will also be moving forward with Sisters in their release of Sisters - Season Five on July 19.

TUESDAY (APRIL 12) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• Family Matters - The Complete Sixth Season (DVD, $29.99): Warner Archive moves ahead with their releases of the classic TGIF series with this release of the sixth season
• Grace and Frankie - Season One (DVD, $29.98): The hit Netflix series arrives on DVD for the first time in this release.
• Welcome to Sweden - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $34.98): It wasn't really much of a hit for NBC, but the second (and final) season of the series arrives for those who did enjoy it.

Who to Follow: Joanna Kerns (Twitter), "Director/Actress/Dog lover"

Claim to Fame: Joanna Kerns got her start in guest appearances on TV series in the late 70s and early 80s, but had her first regular role in a series in the 1983 CBS sitcom The Four Seasons. It was a flop and only lasted one season. But it was for the best, as she bounced back in 1985 with the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pains, where she played mother Maggie Seaver for seven seasons. Around the same time, she began getting numerous roles in made-for-TV movies, which seemed to be a pretty steady gig for her from 1985 all the way through the late 90s. Of course, she also appeared in the two Growing Pains reunion movies that aired in 2000 and 2004. It seems that her acting career came to an end (for now, at least) around 2009, as her last credited appearance as an actress was in an episode Eastwick. She has made other appearances since then, though, such as on Alan Thicke's reality series Unusually Thicke. But around the same time, she began a more dedicated career as a director, and has had 53 directing credits, her first actually being a final season episode of Growing Pains. She has directed episodes of ER, Scrubs, Boston Public, Suddenly Susan, Grey's Anatomy, and Dawson's Creek (among others), and in the past five years, she has directed episodes of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Pretty Little Liars, Jane the Virgin, Nashville, Switched at Birth, and more.

TBS, a division of Turner, is getting ready to hit the road again with the Parker family and all their obvious dysfunction. The network has ordered a 13-episode second season of the series several days before the show's official series launch. Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour is an often too honest look at the family dynamic and the chaos that can erupt from not being honest with the ones we love. Starring Jones, Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich and Liam Carroll, the series is set to debut on TBS Monday, April 11, at 9/8c. Millions of viewers have already sampled the show with sneak preview telecasts following TBS's coverage of the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament. Starting today, TBS will make the pilot available to stream on The Detour Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TheDetourTBS), TBS's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLfBN3pbQgg), TBS.com, TBS On Demand and the Watch TBS mobile app, as well as on TV providers' sites and apps.

Famous, a new half-hour comedy from creators Ralph Farquhar (Real Husbands of Hollywood, Moesha) and Ty Hodges (A Girl Like Grace), will debut Sunday, June 12 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on Fox. The network has ordered 10 episodes of the series, which follows a young couple whose relationship is tested when one of them skyrockets to stardom virtually overnight. Filmed in mock-documentary style at a "couples" therapy session, Famous features dating high school teachers Fred and Geneva, both of whom secretly aspire to work in Hollywood. He wants to be a screenwriter and she envisions stardom as a pop diva. One of those dreams miraculously comes true when Geneva lands a record deal after her first music video goes viral and logs millions of views. As she rises to stardom, he feels pushed to the sidelines. Can this couple survive or will they discover that being famous and in love makes for a complicated threesome? Additional details, including casting, to be announced shortly.

TBS played both sides of the coin at New York Comic-Con on Friday. First came laughs in the form of Samantha Bee & Jason Jones, the creative force behind the new late-night show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and the new scripted comedy The Detour. Then things got serious with a screening of TBS's first-ever police procedural comedy, Angie Tribeca, followed by a powerful, in-depth panel session with Rashida Jones and the cast. Comedy power couple Samantha Bee and Jason Jones sat down with Mo Rocca and a few audience members for an intimate fireside chat, during which they covered topics ranging from marriage to parenting to having not one but two shows on the same network. Samantha Bee is set to host Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, starting this January. And Jason Jones will star in The Detour, a new scripted comedy based on his and Bee's family adventures.

TBS's new spoof of police procedurals, Angie Tribeca, is the brainchild of Steve and Nancy Carell. Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation, The Office) stars in this single-camera comedy as Angie Tribeca, a ten-year veteran of the LAPD. Her fellow officers in the squad are an eccentric but brilliant group of people who investigate crime, reveal way too much personal information about themselves and refuse to rest until justice has been served...sort of. A spoof in the tradition of The Naked Gun and Airplane!, Angie Tribeca is executive-produced by Steve and Nancy Carell through their Carousel Television, along with Campbell Smith and Thom Hinkle. Stay tuned or a premiere date.

ABC Family announced at New York Comic Con that it will be ringing in the New Year with all-new episodes of the returning hit original series Pretty Little Liars, set to premiere on Tuesday, January 12 at 8:00 - 9:00 PM ET/PT. In advance of the celebrated return of the fan favorite, the network will also air Pretty Little Liars: 5 Years Forward, a one-hour behind-the-scenes glimpse at the highly anticipated series time jump on Tuesday, November 24 at 8:00 - 9:00 PM ET/PT. ABC Family is becoming Freeform in January 2016. Continuing in its sixth season, Pretty Little Liars returns this winter with a new look, new secrets and new lies. Picking up five years after we last saw the Liars, the girls are not the same people they were when they left Rosewood. Having pursued their own paths and adjusting to a life without "A," how will they be able to cope when something happens in Rosewood that forces them to go back to where it all started? Torn between their old habits and their new lives, the Liars must stick around, and together, as relationships are once again put to the test and new secrets are revealed. To give viewers a taste of what's in store, the one-hour behind-the-scenes special, Pretty Little Liars: 5 Years Forward, will offer fans a glimpse at what everyone's favorite characters have been up to inside and outside of Rosewood over the past five years. The episode will feature never-before-seen scenes, backstage tours of brand new PLL sets, interviews with the cast and crew surrounding the highly anticipated time jump, including the style evolution of the Liars, and more.

ABC Family also announced at New York Comic Con two major dates for their highly anticipated saga series Shadowhunters. Showrunner Ed Decter announced to a packed room that the series will premiere on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, at 9:00 - 10:00 p.m., ET/PT. He also announced that in anticipation of the January 12 premiere, ABC Family will be airing Beyond the Shadows: The Making of Shadowhunters on Sunday, December 6th at 9:30 p.m., ET/PT. Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters follows 18-year-old Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters - human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. When her mother, Jocelyn, is kidnapped, Clary is thrown into the world of demon hunting with mysterious Shadowhunter Jace and her best friend, Simon. Now living among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves, Clary begins a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about her past and what her future may hold. Shadowhunters is produced by Constantin Film and executive produced by Ed Decter and McG. The series stars Katherine McNamara as Clary Fray, Dominic Sherwood as Jace Wayland, Alberto Rosende as Simon, Emeraude Toubia as Isabelle Lightwood, Matthew Daddario as Alec Lightwood, Isaiah Mustafa as Luke Garroway, and Harry Shum Jr. as Magnus Bane.