SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! 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

I've talked before in this column about streaming services' difficulties finding strong comedies to serve as flagships for comedy on their services. Netflix has had many really great comedies, but lately their comedy slate has been dry after giving the ax to shows like BoJack Horseman, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and One Day at a Time. Hulu has had some solid dramedies like Remy and Shrill, but is still finding its footing with straight comedy series. Well, two of the most promising streaming sitcoms are Mythic Quest and Ted Lasso on Apple TV+.

Of the two shows, Mythic Quest (starring and created by Always Sunny's Rob McElhenney) is a more traditional sitcom. It focuses a group of video game developers, and while it has some very serious moments, it's more of a straight comedy. Ted Lasso (starring Jason Sudeikis) is a bit of an odder show buried also extremely compelling. If you haven't watched it yet, two seasons are now available on Apple TV+. I was hesitant about Apple TV+ and felt their early offerings were just okay, but they've really stepped up their game lately. If it holds, maybe they could be the solid comedy steaming service we've all wanted.

Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, announced several new cast members joining the service's revival of the groundbreaking series The Game, including Adriyan Rae (Chicago Fire) as Brittany Pitts, the daughter of Jason and Kelly Pitts; Vaughn Hebron (Tyler Perry's The Oval) as Jamison Fields, an undrafted free agent; and Analisa Velez (Sneaky Pete) as Raquel Navarro, Brittany's best friend. Legacy players Brittany Daniel (Cheaper by the Dozen) and Pooch Hall (Ray Donovan) will make special appearances, reprising their roles as Kelly Pitts and Derwin Davis, respectively. The 10-episode first season of the new series will stream exclusively on Paramount+. Relocating from San Diego to Sin City, The Game returns with a mix of new players and original cast, including previously announced series regulars Wendy Raquel Robinson and Hosea Chanchez, to offer a modern-day examination of Black culture through the prism of pro football. The team will tackle racism, sexism, classism and more as they fight for fame, fortune, respect and love – all while trying to maintain their souls as they each play THE GAME.

ABC 2021-22

Fall 2021

Mondays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars
10:00PM The Good Doctor

Tuesdays
8:00PM The Bachelorette
10:00PM Queens (NEW!)

Wednesdays
8:00PM The Goldbergs
8:30PM The Wonder Years (NEW!)
9:00PM The Conners
9:30PM Home Economics (new time)
10:00PM A Million Little Things

Thursdays
8:00PM Station 19
9:00PM Grey's Anatomy
10:00PM Big Sky (new day)

Fridays
8:00PM Shark Tank
9:00PM 20/20 (two hours)

Saturdays
8:00PM Saturday Night Football

Sundays
7:00PM America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00PM Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (new day)
9:00PM Supermarket Sweep (new time)
10:00PM The Rookie

New unscheduled, Mid-Season 2021:
New Comedy: Maggie, Abbott Elementary
New Drama: Women of the Moment (limited series)
New Reality/Unscripted:
Returning Comedy: black-ish
Returning Drama:
Returning Reality/Unscripted: American Idol

Notes: Debuting this fall is the highly anticipated comedy The Wonder Years from Saladin K. Patterson (Dave, The Big Bang Theory), Lee Daniels (Empire, The United States vs. Billie Holiday) and original series star Fred Savage; and from Zahir McGhee (Scandal), the buzzed-about hip-hop drama series Queens, starring Eve, Naturi Naughton, Nadine Velazquez and Brandy, which will feature original music performed by cast members.

ABC’s newest critically acclaimed comedy, Home Economics, returns at its new time – Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. Groundbreaking comedy black-ish will receive a deserving sendoff as it returns in midseason for its eighth and final run.

Freshman comedies Maggie and Abbott Elementary, as well as American Idol, will also debut midseason.

Additional midseason renewals and pickup decisions on the network’s remaining drama pilots will be made at a later time.

Discuss ABC's 2021-22 lineup and also you can view complete program information.

Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, announced that its revival of The Game has been ordered to series with original cast members Wendy Raquel Robinson (Insecure) and Hosea Chanchez (Black Lightning) reprising their roles as sports agent Tasha Mack and footballer Malik Wright, respectively, with several other legacy cast members making special appearances. The half-hour series will be executive produced by original show creator Mara Brock Akil, showrunner and writer Devon Greggory (American Soul), Salim Akil (Black Lightning), and original executive producer Kelsey Grammer (Girlfriends) and Tom Russo (black-ish) of Grammnet NH Productions. The 10-episode first season of the new series will be produced by CBS Studios, Akil Productions and Grammnet NH Productions exclusively for Paramount+.

Relocating from San Diego to Sin City, The Game returns with a mix of original cast and new players to offer a modern-day examination of Black culture through the prism of pro football. The team will tackle racism, sexism, classism and more as they fight for fame, fortune, respect and love—all while trying to maintain their souls as they each play The Game. All nine seasons of The Game, which originally aired on The CW and then BET, are currently available to binge on Paramount+.

ViacomCBS unveiled Paramount+ as the brand name for the company's upcoming global streaming service, building on a legacy of innovation and superior storytelling that distinguishes one of the most iconic brands in Hollywood. The company's transformed subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, CBS All Access, will be rebranded as Paramount+ in early 2021 as part of the service's expansion to feature content from ViacomCBS' leading portfolio of broadcast, news, sports and entertainment brands. ViacomCBS will also bring Paramount+ to international markets with an initial debut in Australia, Latin America and the Nordics in 2021. ViacomCBS also revealed plans for additional new original series for Paramount+:

The Offer, a scripted limited event series from Paramount Television Studios, based on Oscar-winning producer Al Ruddy's extraordinary, never-revealed experiences of making The Godfather. The 10-episode event series is written and executive produced by Michael Tolkin (Escape at Dannemora and The Player).
· Lioness, a spy drama created by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone) with Sheridan, Jill Wagner, David Glasser, David Hutkin, and Bob Yari set to executive produce. Based on a real-life CIA program, Lioness follows a young Marine recruited to befriend the daughter of a terrorist to bring the organization down from within. The series is produced by Paramount Network and 101 Studios.
· A reimagination of the Emmy®-nominated series Behind the Music entitled MTV's Behind the Music – The Top 40, which will unlock MTV's vault from the past 40 years for a unique and intimate look at the 40 biggest artists of all time, through their voices and their eyes. The series will be produced by Creature Films and MTV Studios.
· The Real Criminal Minds, a true crime docuseries based on the hit CBS Television series, and produced by XG Productions in association with CBS Television Studios and ABC Signature.
· The service is also developing a revival of The Game as part of BET's programming on Paramount+ from CBS Television Studios and Grammnet Productions.

The new original series announced join the service's previously announced plans for Kamp Koral, a new original children's series from Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants, and the service's role as the exclusive SVOD home to The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run in early 2021. Additional new original content will be announced ahead of launch.

Fox Entertainment has announced the all-new election-themed puppet special Let's Be Real, executive-produced by Robert Smigel (Triumph the Insult Comic Dog), and scheduled to air Thursday, Oct. 1 from 9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT on Fox. The satirical comedy event will cover politics, pop culture and the 2020 election through topical sketches featuring puppets, celebrity cameos and remote pieces. Produced by Propagate, Let's Be Real is the first-ever collaboration between Fox Entertainment's Scripted and Unscripted departments. 

Netflix is about to add seven 1990s/2000s sitcoms to its service from CBS Television Distribution over the next few months. Most of these aired on The CW/The WB/UPN over the years. See below to see what's up next on Netflix!

Moesha - Aug 1
The Game S1-3 - Aug 15
Sister, Sister - Sept 1
Girlfriends - Sept 11
The Parkers - Oct 1
Half & Half - Oct 15
One on One - Oct 15

To celebrate, here's a message from your fave stars from these sitcoms!

It's "Game On: A Comedy Crossover Event!" Let's put the fun in family dysfunction. Our favorite current Netflix family sitcoms (Family Reunion, Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love, The Big Show Show and Mr. Iglesias) tag team to uphold their family legacies in a summer crossover competition so hot it could light the Olympic torch. From old foes to shade throws, take a break from learning those TikTok dances and come face to face with this spirited comedy event on August 10! There will be guest stars as well such as Eva Longoria and Mario Lopez! Tia Mowry and Anthony Alabi of Family Reunion will appear on Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love. Paulina Chavez and Jencarlos Canela of Ashley Garcia will appear on Family Reunion, while Longoria guest stars on Ashley Garcia. Additionally, Gabriel Iglesias of Mr. Iglesias will appear on The Big Show Show and Paul "the Big Show" Wight will appear on Mr. Iglesias. It's all fun and games on the crossover event, as our favorite characters share the screen for some friendly competition.



Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We are in yet another slow news week, but we're hearing of the death of a man who shaped TV in the 70s and early 80s, a reboot that won't be going forward, and a few renewals. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Christmas week is already upon us (that really sneaked up fast!), and we've got some news for you, mostly in the form of pilots for next season. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! 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

Last Friday, Netflix premiered the third season of One Day at a Time, also known as the best traditional sitcom on television. I've talked a lot about the show over the years, and I'm going to be talking about it again, because the remake of the Norman Lear sitcom is just as warm, inviting, funny and vital in its third season. The show once again tackles some big issues, from sexuality to the #MeToo movement and even to drugs - but does so without ever feeling heavy-handed and while always being warm, approachable, and enjoyable.

There's so much to like about One Day at a Time. Its central family is incredibly lovable, the kind of family you kind of wish you were in yourself after a weekend binge of the series. Part of it is the excellent writing, but another part is the portrayal of the cast. The cast is absolutely attuned to their roles by this point - even the younger members of the ensemble, who have shaken off any early series jitters and now feel completely lived into their roles. The entire show - from the writing to the acting - just feels like an incredibly well-oiled machine at this point. It's also a machine that does a great job bringing tribute to the traditional multi-camera sitcom format, a format that increasingly feels as if it's being lost to the wind (especially with The Big Bang Theory in its twilight, although perhaps The Conners can pick up some of the slack.) One Day at a Time is the only proof you need that the multi-camera sitcom can still be a viable and enriching art form when given the proper care and respect. It uses the format for both its jokes and its drama - just like in the best multi-camera sitcoms, the audience laughter in hilarious moments is just as vital as the moment when things get "real" and you can hear a pindrop.

So please, please, please give One Day at a Time a chance if you haven't already. Although we never really know how Netflix shows are doing, the service seems to have gotten the cancellation bug in the past year, with so many shows receiving the ax or announcing their end. While some of those shows (like Kimmy Schmidt or Orange is the New Black) felt like they were near a natural conclusion, One Day at a Time is the type of show that I want to see run for years and years. It has plenty of life left in it, and the Alvarezes are the kind of family I want to spend so much more time with. The series gets critical acclaim, but doesn't seem to have the general popularity of some of Netflix's other shows such as Stranger Things or 13 Reasons Why. So please - give the show a chance and ensure us plenty of more years of this wonderful sitcom to come, especially if you're a fan of the traditional multi-camera sitcom. In 2019, the format doesn't get any better than this.

Bounce has licensed the broadcast television rights to the popular and NAACP Image Award-winning series Moesha and The Game in a multi-year agreement with CBS Television Distribution. Bounce lands all six seasons (127 episodes) of Moesha and all nine seasons (147 episodes) of The Game and will air the shows back-to-back weeknights with Moesha from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. and The Game between 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. effective immediately starting on Monday (Feb. 18, all times Eastern).

Moesha, one of the first sitcoms to center around an African-American teenage girl, stars R&B superstar Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, who's juggling school, friendships and romance in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. After previously being the female head of the household, Moesha must learn to love and trust her father's new wife while doing her best to be the "glue" that helps hold her family together. Moesha also stars Sheryl Lee Ralph, Countess Vaughn, Shar Jackson, William Allen Young, Marcus T. Paulk, Ray J, Lamont Bentley and Yvette Wilson. The series aired on UPN between from 1996 until 2001.

The Game follows the wives and girlfriends of pro football players and the power plays they use to get their guys the best agents, the best endorsements, the best merchandising deals - even the "in" charity. Tia Mowry stars as Melanie Barnett whose boyfriend, Derwin (Pooch Hall), is the new third-string wide receiver for the San Diego Sabers. As she deals with egos, groupies and image consultants, Melanie is finding out how "the game" is played among the women behind the athletes. Wendy Raquel Robinson, Hosea Chanchez, Coby Bell, and Brittany Daniel round out the cast. The series, created by Mara Brock Akil, was a spin-off of the long-running hit series Girlfriends. It premiered on The CW in 2006 for three seasons and then moved to BET, where it set cable television ratings records.

The CW is turning 10 years old this fall and they will celebrate with three past sitcoms on their digital site CW Seed. Joining CW Seed later this year are three sitcoms: Girlfriends, Everybody Hates Chris and The Game. All three series aired on The CW in 2006 when the network launched (when UPN and The WB merged). Girlfriends aired on UPN for most of its run, from 2000–06, but it aired on The CW for its last 2 seasons from 2006–08. Everybody Hates Chris aired on UPN in the 2005–2006 season and then aired on The CW for the rest of its run from 2006–2009. And The Game premiered in 2006 when The CW formed and aired from 2006-09 before getting canceled, but then BET resurrected the series from 2011-2015. Enjoy all three sitcoms on CW Seed coming very soon!


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 Aug. 15-19, 2016, 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!


Saturday, August 13, 2016

• Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie) and Nick Jonas (Jonas L.A.) - Barbara and Nick will be featured on Oprah: Where Are They Now? at 10pm ET/PT on OWN.

Monday, August 15, 2016

• Billy Eichner (Difficult People/Parks and Recreation) - Watch Billy on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• David Duchovny (Californication) - David is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Julie Klausner (Difficult People) - Julie visits The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore at 11:30pm on Comedy Central.
• Yakov Smirnoff (What a Country!/Night Court) - Yakov is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kate Micucci (Raising Hope/'Til Death) - Kate appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Margo Martindale (The Millers) - Margo stops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Nick Jonas (Jonas L.A.) - Nick is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Mike Epps (Uncle Buck/Survivor's Remorse) - Mike teams up with Mario Batali to create a “VIP Plate” of Italian Piadini with Zucchini and Prosciutto on a repeat of ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael gives Rachael the scoop on his book, Wake Up Happy and he’s pulling off a makeover on one man who’s never owned a suit on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) - D.L. appears on a repeat of Tavis Smiley on PBS, so check your local listings.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

• Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) - Catch Bryan on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Busy Philipps (Cougar Town) - Busy appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Maz Jobrani (The Knights of Prosperity/Better Off Ted) - Maz is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Louis C.K. (Louie) - Louis appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Mary Elizabeth Ellis (The Grinder/Perfect Couples/It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) - Mary is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Jussie Smollett (On Our Own) - Jussie guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Eve (Eve) - Eve appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12:07am on BET or on your local stations.
• David Schwimmer (Friends) - David and Jim Sturgis join Mario Batali to make a zesty Skirt Steak with Chipotle Mexican Corn on a repeat of ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Ed Begley, Jr. (Your Family or Mine/Gary Unmarried) - Ed and his family discuss their new energy-saving home on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Jazmyn Simon (Ballers) - Jazmyn visits Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Craig Bierko (Madman of the People/Sydney) - Craig is a guest on People Now at 8:30am.
• Jane Lynch (Angel from Hell) - Jane is a guest on a repeat of Tavis Smiley on PBS, so check your local listings.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

• Christina Applegate (Up All Night/Samantha Who?/Married with Children) - Watch Christina on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley) and Milana Vayntrub (Other Space) - Jimmy and Milana are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Jodie Foster (Paper Moon/Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice) - Jodie appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah drops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• David Duchovny (Californication) - David is a guest on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Yakov Smirnoff (What a Country!/Night Court) - Yakov visits Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Office) - Ellie chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) - Melissa is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• John Krasinski (The Office) - John and the cast of The Hollars are guests on the AOL Build Show at 12:00pm.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

• Danny McBride (Vice Principals/Eastbound & Down) - Catch Danny on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Kathryn Hahn (Happyish/Free Agents) - Kathryn appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Bradley Cooper (Kitchen Confidential) - Bradley is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS. He also talks about War Dogs on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish/Girlfriends) - Tracee appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Anna Chlumsky (Veep) - Anna visits LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Bob Saget (Full House/How I Met Your Mother) - Bob appears on a repeat of The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke joins Michael Symon to make a irresistible Crispy Fish Tacos on a repeat of ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Christopher Meloni (Surviving Jack/The Fanelli Boys) - Christopher chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Laura Marano (Austin & Ally/Back to You) - Laura performs live for the People Now Concert Series at 8:30am.
• Sabrina Carpenter (Girl Meets World) - Sabrina is a guest on People Now at 8:30am.

Friday, August 19, 2016

• Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie/Malibu Country) and Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) - Watch Lily and Jane on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Eric Andre (Man Seeking Woman/Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Eric is a guest on Chelsea on Netflix.
• Lizzy Caplan (Party Down/The Class) - Lizzy stops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Suburgatory) - Cheryl is a guest on a repeat of The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Rob Schneider (Rob/Men Behaving Badly) - Rob appears on a repeat of The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Ana Ortiz (A.U.S.A./Kristin) - Ana and and Roslyn Sanchez join Clinton Kelly in the kitchen to make Grilled Swordfish with Fresh Herbs on a repeat of ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Laura Marano (Austin & Ally/Back to You) - Laura performs on an encore presentation of the People Now Concert Series at 8:30am.
• Christina Milian (Grandfathered) - Christina is a guest on a repeat of Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got some news of some early full season orders of ABC series, news of the cancellation of a BET series, and even a bit on the revival of the classic series Twin Peaks. Let's get started!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• It has become a tradition in the past few years for Fox to release a new season of The Simpsons on DVD and Blu-ray the first week of December each year. This year is no exception, with the 17th season arriving on DVD and Blu-ray on December 2.
• The third season of Last Man Standing will be arriving on DVD as MOD release soon, it seems.
• For those who passed on Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series, Shout! will soon begin releasing individual seasons, starting with the January 20 release of Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Second Season.

OCTOBER 14 HOME MEDIA RELEASES 

• Two Broke Girls - The Complete Third Season (DVD, $38.99): The hit CBS series returns to DVD for another season of episodes.
• Two and a Half Men - The Complete Eleventh Season (DVD, $38.99): The Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher sitcom moves ahead on DVD, with the next-to-last season arriving on DVD.

Who to Follow: Katey Sagal (Twitter), "Actress, wife, mother. Currently playing Gemma on FX's Sons of Anarchy"

Claim to Fame: We're (sort of) continuing our theme of making our Follow Me about stars of the new sitcoms for this season, though this time, our Follow Me is somebody who has been established as a sitcom star for nearly three decades, and doesn't even appear on any sitcom this season (she does the narration on the NBC series A to Z). Katey Sagal got her start in the 1970s, and one of her earliest roles was an installment Columbo. She also appeared in the not-so-successful Mary Tyler Moore sitcom, Mary, in 1985. But she really made it big in 1987, when she appeared on Married... with Children. She followed up on that success with roles in Futurama and 8 Simple Rules. Currently, she appears on the FX series Sons of Anarchy, and is the narrator on NBC's A to Z.

Pick of the Tweets: "Watch this Thursday night at 9:30/8:30 the premier of AtoZ!! I'm involved!! Find out how. Haha!! @NBC_AtoZ @benqueen1" (October 1, 2014)

BET will start their fall schedule on Monday, Sept. 29 with new addition Family Feud. The game show hosted by Steve Harvey will air on BET weekday mornings at 9 and 9:30am, as sister network Centric will air it in the afternoons. But that's not all for Family Feud, we will reveal one more cable network that will air the series tomorrow on the blog. Back to BET, 106 & Park moved to its new time of 5pm this week, while new syndicated series The Real is airing on BET at 6. The new seasons of Wendy Williams and Queen Latifah are airing at 12am and 3am. Starting Monday, October 6, BET will launch The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air! The '90s Will Smith comedy will air at 12pm & 12:30pm and from 3:30pm-5pm. The Game will lead-in from 11am-12pm and the BET movie will air from 1-3:30pm. The Game will also air in late night from 3-4am. As for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it will be exclusive to Viacom networks, so Nick at Nite will also air it this fall. BET will premiere new season four episodes of Scandal on Fridays at 10p, beginning Oct. 10, as the new season starts on ABC on Sept. 25. Scandal will also air on Saturday nights at 1 and 2am, and on sister network Centric weeknights at 8, as we mentioned yesterday. Keep it right here for continued updates.

Michael Che will join Colin Jost at the "Weekend Update" desk for the upcoming 40th season of NBC's iconic late-night show Saturday Night Live. The new season begins Sept. 27 with host Chris Pratt and musical guest Ariana Grande. Named one of Rolling Stone's "50 Funniest People," Buzzfeed's "50 Hottest Men in Comedy" and Variety's "Top 10 Comics to Watch," Che has been a writer on SNL, a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and has performed stand-up on Late Night with Seth Meyers and Late Show with David Letterman. His first comedy special was Comedy Central's The Half Hour, which aired earlier this year. Repertory player Cecily Strong will return as a full-time cast member. Strong is well known for her Update features and sketches, including "The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party," which Rolling Stone hailed as an "instant classic." The recurring character of a ditzy porn star-turned-aspiring-pitchwoman that she plays alongside Vanessa Bayer is also an audience favorite.

Moesha is back again regularly on BET. The sitcom has been only airing in marathons on weekends from time to time, but now the Brandy sitcom is airing weekdays at 5pm & 5:30pm following Family Matters. Other sitcoms will remain in their normal slots, with Family Matters from 8-9am, My Wife & Kids from 9-10am and The Game from 10-11am. The Parkers airs in weekend marathons from time to time, but airs regularly on sister network Centric weeknights at 9pm & 9:30pm. Back to Moesha, it can also be seen on UP tv but the sitcom hasn't aired recently over there.

This sitcom features Grammy Award Winning artist Brandy Norwood and actress Sherly Lee Ralph in a series that showed how life was really like in Leimert Park, Los Angeles California. Moesha Deniese Mitchell is teenager who soon became an adult, learning various issues to do with love, relationship and family. Following her mother's death, Moesha looked after her father Frank Mitchell (William Allen Young) and brother Myles Mitchell (Marcus T. Paulk) She becomes jealous of her new step-mother Dee Mitchell (Sherly Lee Ralph) who seems to be taking over her role, but the two get to know and understand each other. Mo's friends Kim Parker (Countess Vaughn-James), Niecy Jackson (Shar Jackson) and Hakeem Campbell (Lamount Bentley) have made it through teenage adventurehood with Moesha and become mature adults.

Starring the Emmy Award nominee and beloved Saturday Night Live veteran, NBC has scheduled The Maya Rudolph Show for Monday, May 19 at 10pm ET/PT. Rudolph, David Javerbaum, Erin David and Dave Becky will produce, with Lorne Michaels serving as executive producer. The Maya Rudolph Show is from Universal Television. Revisiting the classic variety show format, The Maya Rudolph Show will feature guest stars Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars), Fred Armisen (Portlandia, Late Night with Seth Meyers), Chris Parnell (Archer), Craig Robinson (Mr. Robinson) and Sean Hayes (Will & Grace). Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Janelle Monae will serve as the musical guest. R&b singer-producer Raphael Saadiq will be the bandleader.

Rudolph was part of Saturday Night Live from 2000-11, performing in hundreds of sketches and earning an Emmy nomination in 2012 for guest actress in a comedy series. In 2011, Rudolph co-starred in the box office hit comedy Bridesmaids, and was nominated with a Screen Actors Guild Award and Broadcast Film Critics Award. On the big screen, her other credits include The Way Way Back, Grown Ups and Away We Go. On the small screen, she recently appeared on NBC's Up All Night.

BET and Centric held its upfront presentation yesterday and we had some sitcom worthy announcements. First up, BET has picked-up a seventh season of its hit comedy The Game. As you know, The Game on BET is a record-breaking, history-making phenomenon, with 7.7 million viewers on premiere night in 2011, making BET the home of the #1 sitcom debut in the history of cable TV. In 2013, players come and go but The Game goes on, with Lauren London and Jay Ellis joining the cast in season six. Brandy returns in her expanded role as Chardonnay, aka Mrs. Jason Pitts, along with series favorites Hosea Chanchez, Coby Bell and Wendy Raquel Robinson. Season 7 promises to deliver more sexy dramedy as the cast negotiates the ups and downs of love and football. Look for The Game season seven to premiere in early 2014. Also returning will be multi-camera comedy Let's Stay Together. Looking back, in 2011 the premiere of Let's Stay Together debuted at #2 right behind The Game, making it a certified smash hit. This fun, flirtatious comedy about two couples and one sexy single is back for a fourth season of laughs and love lessons. Audiences adore and relate to this cast. Averaging nearly 3 million viewers in its first season, the series debut ranks among the top 3 Tuesday sitcom premieres over the past 10 years. Making relationships work is easier said than done, but Season 4 is sure to be filled with juicy new plot twists that will continue to keep Let's Stay Together on viewers' must-watch list. This comedy will also return in early 2014. Currently, both comedies just started their current seasons last Tuesday and are airing through May 21.

Moving on to sister network Centric, they have announced a few acquisitions. First, they will be airing episodes of current first-run syndicated sitcoms The First Family and Mr. Box Office. Both sitcoms were originally planned to launch in the fall, as we mentioned, but the deals didn't go through and they will start on Friday, April 19. The First Family will air Fridays at 8pm and 9pm, while Mr. Box Office will air Fridays at 8:30pm & 9:30pm. They both air on weekends in local broadcast syndication, so check your local listings. They will encore between 2-4am on Friday nights as well. Also, Centric has added reruns of the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie as of April 1. The series was airing on and off on sister network MTV2. The Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin sitcom is airing weekdays 2-3pm, replacing Everybody Hates Chris. Both of Malcolm-Jamal Warner's comedies will air in a Sunday night block as well, with Malcolm & Eddie from 9-10pm leading into his earlier series The Cosby Show from 10-11pm. That's about it that was sitcom/scripted TV series related in BET/Centric's upfront. In scheduling news, 227 will get a stunt on Centric on Saturday, April 13 from 4-9pm, while Everybody Hates Chris gets one on Saturday, April 27 from 11am-7pm. Both series are currently not on the regular line-up. On BET, we have a marathon of The Jamie Foxx Show on Saturday, April 13 from 8am-6pm, another series currently not on the regular line-up. One other note, recent addition Family Matters will get a marathon on Saturday, May 25 from 8am-7:30pm, kicking off Memorial Day weekend. Stay with us for continued updates.



On the next...The Middle:
By: Pavan

ABC's Comedy Wednesday sitcom starring Patrica Heaton airs Wednesday nights at 8:00pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (April 3). The episode features The Bachelor host Chris Harrison in a voice-over. In the episode airing tonight, "The Bachelor," Frankie (Patrica Heaton) can't hide her disappointment over whom The Bachelor chooses to marry and ends up moping around the house for days about it; Mike (Neil Flynn) tries to toughen Sue (Eden Sher) up when she joins the school's tennis team and continually compliments her opponents during their matches; and Axl (Charlie McDermott) and Cassidy (guest star Galadriel Stineman) try to figure out where their relationship stands after their big fight.

Spring is in the air! As the season changes, lots of things are happening in the Heck household: The Bachelor season has ended and Frankie is upset, Sue plays tennis while Mike helps, Axl and Cassidy go through a rough patch, and Brick surprises with a new "obsession." The Axl-Cassidy storyline is a continuation from the previous episode where we see Cassidy and her ex-boyfriend holding hands while Axl sees that from far away. They confront each other about that incident and what Axl saw, wasn't really what he thought he saw. Cassidy gets upset and Axl tries to win her back, but how will it go? I hope it is a happy ending, because these two are good for each other. The best storyline once again goes to Sue. She accidentally gets on the tennis team (yeah, only in Sue's world this can happen) and is ecstatic. She goes to practice and Mike is helping and he realizes Sue is actually good! However, when Sue plans an actual game she is just full of compliments...for the opponents. Mike tries to get her out of that habit and hilarity happens when she plays her next match. I'll just say, if only the entire world is nice and positive like Sue Heck then everyone would be living in peace. And the final storyline is the main storyline about Frankie watching The Bachelor and she doesn't pay attention to anything around her (and also has a Roseanne-style laugh). While watching the finale, she is upset at The Bachelor's decision in picking his fiance. She wanted Alyssa, but he went with Kendall! This causes Frankie to lose it for about six days and she is just obsessively upset. She'll get a boost from an unexpected source at the end that is hilarious.



"There's not a thing that I would change... 'cause The Middle is amazing. Just the way it is." We get a nice Bruno Mars song at the end of the episode and it can be reworded to fit this show, just like above. This episode perfectly shows us the talent and greatness of this series. It has the laughs, the emotional moments, and Sue Heck. Everyone shines in this episode, like usual. Sue Heck shines the most because she brings it to yet another level in this episode. I don't think I have ever seen anyone as nice and positive like that, especially playing a game or sport. Everyone wants to be competitive, but Sue just roots everyone on. She stole the episode. Not to say everything else wasn't great, it was, but Sue was just perfection. You'll want to tune in tonight for another great episode of this sitcom. B

We have a follow-up to our story from Thursday regarding Family Matters on BET. We mentioned that the sitcom has a marathon scheduled on BET for March 2, but we didn't know yet if it were joining the schedule. We can now answer that! Family Matters will indeed be joining the BET schedule on Monday, March 4, 2013! The '90s comedy will air weekdays 10-11am and 3-4pm (though sometimes it will be preempted in the 3pm hour). The 10am hour will replace My Wife & Kids, while the 3pm hour is replacing Moesha, which shifts to 2-3pm (and remains 8-9am). As a result, The Parkers will go from 2-3pm to 1-2pm (and remain 9-10am), replacing Jamie Foxx, which seems to be off the weekday line-up. Also off the weekday line-up is My Wife & Kids. No word on when both will return to weekdays, but Jamie Foxx Show is scheduled for a marathon on Saturday, March 9 from 8am-5pm and some airings on Sunday, March 10. Jamie Foxx keeps on going back and forth from BET to Centric, so it could pop-up on Centric, but as of now it is not scheduled for the week of March 4. Weekdays 11am-1pm will remain movies. My Wife & Kids has been airing on BET since Fall 2011, but it remains airing on Nick at Nite in late nights. Stay with us for continued updates, as it is likely to pop back up soon.

Elsewhere at BET, an all-new season of The Game premieres in March. 11 episodes have been ordered and includes a reunion episode. The season premieres on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 with a one-hour premiere at 10pm. The season finale will be on Tuesday, May 28. Following The Game on Tuesday nights at 10:30pm will be a third season of Let's Stay Together, as ten episodes have been ordered for that. That sitcom is about two independently minded sisters that take the step toward marriage, life puts their love to the test. This sophisticated romantic comedy series keeps its sense of humor as it tackles the intricacies of sex, intimacy, and communication.

IFC announced that the comedy network has ordered a second season of its original series, Comedy Bang! Bang!, hosted by comedian/writer and podcast host Scott Aukerman (co-creator/director/producer, Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis; writer/performer, Mr. Show). IFC has ordered 20 episodes, double the first season's order, to air in ten episode arcs on IFC. The first ten episodes will debut in third quarter 2013 with the remaining ten slated to air in fourth quarter. Production is currently underway in Los Angeles. Comedy Bang! Bang! riffs on the late night talk show format, infusing celebrity appearances and comedy sketches with a tinge of the surreal. Aukerman engages his guests with unfiltered and improvisational lines of questioning, punctuated by banter and beats provided by musical cohort Reggie Watts (Conan), to reinvent the traditional celebrity interview. Season one featured a rotating line-up of well-known comedians and actors, including Amy Poehler and Zach Galifianakis along with others which can be seen at www.ifc.com/comedy-bang-bang.

As promised, we have the BET Fall 2012 schedule. The other day we gave you the fall 2012 for sister network Centric, so now today we have BET for you. We mentioned that Bernie Mac is moving to Centric, so as a result, The Jamie Foxx Show will go from Centric to BET beginning October 1. The sitcom starring the multi-talented Jamie Foxx, will air weekdays at 11am & 11:30am and also weekdays 3:00pm & 3:30pm ET.

There are no other additions, but we have some time changes since Bernie is out and Jamie is in. Encores of upcoming late night talk show Don't Sleep! will air at 8am, leading into reruns of The Game at 8:30am. Everybody Hates Chris will move to an earlier hour, now at 9:00am & 9:30am. Not to worry, it still airs on TeenNick and Nick at Nite. Back to BET, at 10am, My Wife & Kids will move an hour earlier as well, as Jamie Foxx comes to 11am. At 12 noon, The Parkers will remain in its time period. The BET Movie will continue to air at 1pm and it will lead into another hour of The Jamie Foxx Show at 3, replacing My Wife & Kids. At 4, The Parkers moves an hour earlier as it will switch hours with My Wife & Kids, which heads to 5pm. From 6pm and on, BET has a mix of movies and original series. We mentioned Don't Sleep!, that is their new late night talk show that will premiere October 1 at 11pm. The half-hour series hosted by award-winning journalist T.J. Holmes gives viewers a great reason to stay up as he delivers smart, biting social commentary on significant issues important to African Americans. The series will be a lead-in for reruns of The Game at 11:30pm as well. One other note of interest for us, the TV Land original sitcom The Soul Man will start airing on BET in repeats starting Oct. 9 airing Tuesdays at 10:30pm and encoring Thursdays at 8:30pm. The series revolves around Reverend Boyce "The Voice" Ballentine (Cedric the Entertainer), an R&B superstar-turned-minister who takes over as preacher of his fathers church. If you missed any episode on TV Land, now is your chance to watch as the first season ended this week on TV Land.

On weekends, BET will air marathon stunts on Saturdays until Oct. 13. Bernie Mac will get a send-off marathon on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 8am-6pm, while The Jamie Foxx Show will get the welcome treatment on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 9am-6:30pm and on Sunday, Oct. 7 as well from 10:30am-2pm. Other marathons include: Everybody Hates Chris (Sept. 8), BET Sitcom Assortment (Sept. 15), and The Parkers (Sept. 29). Effective Oct. 13, Saturdays will have a semi-set schedule from 9am-5pm with sitcoms. And finally, BET will air a marathon of The Parkers on Columbus Day (Monday, Oct. 8) from 9am-4pm.
View the full BET Fall 2012 schedule. Stay with us for further updates!

The MeTV Network announced three new affiliation agreements, which include the primary channel position on KWSD in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (DMA #113). The MeTV Network will replace The CW Plus and will be seen on channel 36.1, as well as local cable and satellite channels beginning September 10, 2012. WIBW, Topeka, Kansas (DMA #136) will also launch MeTV on channel 13.2, beginning September 10, 2012. WHSV will launch MeTV in Harrisonburg, Virginia (DMA # 178) on channel 3.4, beginning September 24, 2012.

With these three being added, the network will now clear 83% of the country! And remember the "Fall for Me" Fall 2012 schedule has begin, see our previous story on what is new this fall on MeTV Network!