SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're into our usual summer slump of news, although a week later than usual due to the cancellation of Roseanne giving us plenty of news last week. This week, we're some musings from past TV series from the ATX Television Festival, learning of the renewal of a popular FX series, and more. 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

Yesterday, Fox cancelled nearly its entire slate of comedies, including the quirky, high-concept veteran The Last Man on Earth, once promising Kaitlin Olson launching pad The Mick, and most heartbreakingly, the internet-beloved Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This is in addition to the departing New Girl, which will wrap up its seven-year run next week. The jury is still out on freshman comedies Ghosted and LA to Vegas, but either way, it's clear this marks a big change for Fox.

Fox, as you may remember, is going through a major shake-up as its parent company 20th Century Fox was recently bought by Disney. Fox (the network) is still owned by News Corp and not Disney, but this shake-up does change the course for Fox a bit - they no longer have stake in a production company, which means any scripted series they air will be owned by another company. Many have speculated that this will result in Fox going "broader" and relying primarily on sports and live events for its primetime series. If this slate of cancellations, along with Fox's rumored revival of Last Man Standing, is indicative of the future, those people might just be right.

Still, these cancellations certainly come as a surprise - while all of these shows were low-rated, much of Fox's line-up is, and over the past several years Fox has consistently renewed shows in worse ratings shape than these 3 shows are. Despite the reputation the network had in the 2000s as a "murderer" of fan favorite shows like Arrested Development, Futurama and Firefly, the Fox of the 2010s has been almost the opposite. There is no other network, for example, where a low-rated, high-concept sitcom like The Last Man on Earth could've survived for four seasons, or where shows like New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine could see renewal after renewal despite being low-rated niche hits. And yet, all of that seems to be ending soon. It's a real shame that it had to end so abruptly, as these shows - particularly longer-running Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Last Man on Earth, had done enough to at least earn a proper farewell, the kind that New Girl is getting this season. These shows had large, passionate fanbases and were inventive, creative shows that clearly had a lot of love put into them. To have them ripped away without warning is cruel and cold. But hey, that's the television business for you. We're living in a post-streaming world and a world of reboots, so there's always the chance a streaming show or even another network will scoop up and save at least one of these shows. But if not, we can at least be thankful for the years of great TV they provided us with.

And sticking with Fox, they have ordered another multi-camera sitcom for 2018-19: Rel. Lil Rel, a prideful, self-made success who lives by the code to "always believe in yourself and great things will come," finds that attitude put to the test when he learns his wife is having an affair with his own barber. He tries to rebuild his life post-divorce as a long-distance single father on the South Side of Chicago who's on a quest for love, respect and a new barber. Inspired by Lil Rel's real life.

The sitcom stars Lil Rel Howery as Lil Rel, Sinbad as Rel's Dad, Jess "Hilarious" Moore as Brittany, and Jordan L. Jones as Nat. The sitcom will be produced by Jerrod Carmichael, Mike Scully, Kevin Barnett, Josh Rabinowitz and Lil Rel Howery. Rel joins multi-camera sitcom The Cool Kids in the only Fox comedy orders so far.

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

As you may have heard, Disney has recently acquired 20th Century Fox studios. While the Fox network itself will not be owned by Disney, the change in ownership is likely to have a huge effect on the network's programming - most of the channel's programs are owned by 20th Century Fox studios, which now is no longer part of the same corporation as the network itself. In simpler terms, Disney now owns the large majority of Fox's programming, and has the ability to move their shows around to one of the networks they actually own, rather than leaving them on Fox.

So what does this mean for Fox's current comedy line-up? In this week's article, I'll look at each veteran Fox sitcom and try to determine what its future could possibly hold in the murky Fox/Disney situation.

The Simpsons - The crown jewel of Fox's comedy line-up has always been its animated comedies, and The Simpsons is the centerpiece of that line-up - it started the line-up and still remains the highest-rated show (and therefore, Fox's highest-rated comedy.) And yet, The Simpsons is owned by 20th Century Fox - and is therefore now a Disney property. Yes, Bart Simpson is now a Disney character. As weird as it sounds, I'm sure Disney is thrilled to have the cash cow that is The Simpsons as part of their line-up, but most of the profit from the series at this point is coming from merchandising, streaming, and syndication. In the past ten years, The Simpsons has found itself in danger of cancellation several times due to the skyrocketing cost of its voice actors. Given that the show is getting close to its 30th season and that it no longer sees its merchandising and syndication revenue, I wouldn't be surprised to see Fox pull the plug on new episodes of the series as Disney moves its back-end to Hulu (which it now majority owns.)

Family Guy - Seth MacFarlane himself has voiced concern over the fact that the foul-mouthed adult cartoon Family Guy is now a Disney property, but Disney has apparently assured him that its values the series and won't be molding it to fit Disney's family-friendly reputation. As for Fox, although the series is aging and has sagged in the ratings since its heyday in the mid-late 2000s, it still remains a strong player and launching pad - my guess is it'll stick around the line-up for a whole.

Bob's Burgers - Bob's Burgers has slowly but steadily seen itself rise from low-rated underdog to cult favorite, and it's finally showing in the series' ratings, which have beaten and tied The Simpsons and Family Guy on several occasions this year. Reruns on Adult Swim are also doing incredibly well, so Disney is probably happy to acquire the Belchers into their vault. I could even see Disney taking advantage of Bob's cult status and moving it to one of their own networks, although perhaps Fox has noticed Bob's momentum and wants to keep it around to replace The Simpsons as the network's crown jewel.

The Last Man on Earth - Although Last Man started its life as a buzzy ratings hit, its audience has slowly eroded over the course of its run. It's owned by 20th Fox, and its ratings have skirted on truly terrible this season - if there's any show that could get lost in the Disney/Fox merger, it's this one.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Brooklyn 99 is another once well-rated series that has seen its audience collapse over the past year or so. However, Brooklyn 99 is not owned by 20th Century, but by NBCUniversal. If a lot of 20th Century productions wind up leaving Fox this year, it's possible to see them wanting to keep Brooklyn around to fill some gaps even with its low ratings. It's also possible NBCUniversal will try the show on another network - perhaps TBS, which has successfully acquired network comedies before (Cougar Town, American Dad!) and premiered the show in syndication this month.

The Mick - The Mick was a surprise success last year, but has struggled to keep up the momentum in its sophomore season. It's another 20th Century Fox production, so it's questionable whether or not Disney will see the need to expand on a show with middling ratings.

Those are just my guesses - obviously I'm no industry insider, but based on the shows' ratings and ownership, I think some guesses could be made about where the shows are headed. Either way, it'll certainly be interesting to see where everything ends up when this Disney/Fox merger is all said and done.

The cable portion of the TCA 2018 Winter Press Tour has begun. Among the networks that have presented so far includes TBS. TBS gets animated on Monday nights starting with American Dad! returning to TBS on Monday, February 12 at 10pm ET/ PT with 22 new episodes. In addition, the network has ordered two more seasons of the top-rated animated hit American Dad!. The series premiered on the Fox broadcasting network in 2005 before moving to TBS in 2014. Then, on Monday, February 26, TBS will debut the new animated intergalactic space saga Final Space on at 10:30pm PT/ ET immediately following American Dad! for an hour-long animation block. Olan Rogers stars in the animated series alongside Fred Armisen, Tom Kenny, David Tennant, Tika Sumpter, Steven Yeun and Coty Galloway.

Comedy superstar and multiple Emmy® nominee Tracy Morgan returns to television with TBS starring in The Last O.G., a new comedy series that he executive produces alongside creator and executive producer Jordan Peele. Beginning April 3, episodes will air Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The Last O.G. centers on Tray (Morgan), an ex-con shocked to see just how much the world has changed when he is released from prison for on good behavior after a 15-year stint. Returning to his newly gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood, he discovers that his former girlfriend, Shay (played by emerging, breakout star actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish), has married an affable, successful white man (Ryan Gaul) who is helping raise the twins (Taylor Mosby & Dante Hoagland) Tray never knew existed. Wanting nothing more than to connect with his kids, but having neither the money to support them nor himself, Tray falls back on the skills he learned in prison to make ends meet while treading on unfamiliar territory. The Last O.G. also stars Cedric the Entertainer as the head of the halfway house where Tray is staying, and Allen Maldonado as Tray's cousin Bobby, who helps him adjust to life on the outside.

Elsewhere at TBS, they have renewed the hit unscripted series Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild and Drop the Mic for second seasons. And television's fastest growing late night show and ad supported television's #1 late night show among young adults has been renewed for two new seasons by TBS. The Emmy Award-winning Full Frontal with Samantha Bee will return Wednesday, February 7 in its usual timeslot at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Among HBO's announcements was the dark comedy series Barry, starring Bill Hader, kicks off its eight-episode season Sunday, March 25 at 10:30pm ET/PT on HBO. Alec Berg (HBO's Silicon Valley) and Hader (Saturday Night Live) serve as co-creators, executive producers, directors and writers. Other cast regulars include Stephen Root (HBO's All the Way), Sarah Goldberg (Hindsight), Glenn Fleshler (HBO's True Detective), Anthony Carrigan (Gotham) and Henry Winkler (Arrested Development). Barry is a dark comedy starring Bill Hader in the title role of a depressed, low-rent hitman from the Midwest who falls in love with acting while on a job in LA. Barry's handler, Fuches (Stephen Root), hires him out to the violent Chechen mob in Los Angeles, led by Goran Pazar (Glenn Fleshler) and his right-hand man, Noho Hank (Anthony Carrigan).

Fox is announcing premiere dates for new comedy LA to Vegas (Jan. 2) and new drama The Resident (Jan. 21, following NFC Championship Game, and Jan. 22, in its time period premiere). New comedy LA to Vegas will premiere on Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 9:00PM ET/PT on Fox. From executive producers Will Ferrell (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Elf), Adam McKay (The Big Short), Lon Zimmet (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Chris Henchy (Entourage, The Other Guys), Owen Burke (Drunk History) and executive producer/director Steve Levitan (Modern Family), LA to Vegas is a workplace comedy about an airline crew and the eccentric passengers who, every weekend, take a no-frills roundtrip flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas with one goal in mind - to come back a winner. The series stars Kim Matula (UnREAL), Ed Weeks (The Mindy Project), Nathan Lee Graham (The Comeback, Hitch) and Olivia Macklin (The Young Pope) with Peter Stormare (The Big Lebowski) and Emmy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Dylan McDermott (The Practice, American Horror Story). Levitan directed the premiere episode. Josh Bycel, Jonathan Fener and Jeff Morton also serve as executive producers. Following LA to Vegas, The Mick will return in its new time period at 9:30PM ET/PT.

New medical drama The Resident debuts Sunday, Jan. 21 live at 10:00PM ET/7:00PM PT, following the NFC Championship Game, and makes its time period premiere on Monday, Jan. 22 at 9:00PM ET/PT. The Resident is a powerful new medical drama focusing on the final years of a young doctor's training that rips back the curtain to reveal the truth of what really happens, both good and bad, in hospitals across the country. Starring Matt Czuchry (The Good Wife), Emily VanCamp (Revenge), Manish Dayal (Halt and Catch Fire), Moran Atias (24: Legacy), Merrin Dungey (Big Little Lies) and Shaunette Renée Wilson (Billions) with Melina Kanakaredes (CSI: NY, Providence) and Bruce Greenwood (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Mad Men), the series' executive producers include Todd Harthan (Rosewood), Amy Holden Jones (Mystic Pizza, Indecent Proposal), Rob Corn (Grey's Anatomy), Antoine Fuqua (Southpaw, Training Day), David Boorstein (Level 26: Dark Revelations), Oly Obst (The Mick, Ghosted) and Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games, The Bone Collector), who also directed the pilot.

Recap of Fox midseason so far:

Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 2:
8:00-9:00 PM LETHAL WEAPON
9:00-9:30 PM LA TO VEGAS (Series Premiere)
9:30-10:00 PM THE MICK (Time Period Premiere)

Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 3:
8:00-9:00 PM THE X-FILES (Series Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM 9-1-1 (Series Premiere)

Thursdays, beginning Jan. 4:
8:00-10:00 PM THE FOUR: BATTLE FOR STARDOM (Series Premiere)

Fridays, beginning Jan. 5:
8:00-9:00 PM HELL'S KITCHEN
9:00-10:00 PM FOX encores

Monday, Jan. 15:
8:00-10:00 PM THE GIFTED (Two-Hour Season Finale)

Sunday, Jan. 21:
6:00 PM ET-CC NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
10:00-11:00 PM ET THE RESIDENT (Special Premiere)

Mondays, beginning Jan. 22:
8:00-9:00 PM LUCIFER
9:00-10:00 PM THE RESIDENT (Time Period Premiere)

Actor and singer David Cassidy, who was best known for his role as Keith Partridge in The Partridge Family, has died. He died on November 21 at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, area hospital from organ failure. He had been hospitalized suffering from liver and kidney failure on November 18. Mr. Cassidy was 67.

Cassidy's early television guest appearances included The Survivors, Ironside, The F.B.I., Marcus Welby, M.D., Bonanza, Medical Center and The Mod Squad.

He starred as Keith Partridge in The Partridge Family, which aired on ABC from 1970 to 1974. The popular musical sitcom aired for 4 seasons and 96 episodes. Cassidy played the oldest of the five children. His stepmother Shirley Jones played his mother, Shirley Partridge. The series also starred Susan Dey, Danny Bonaduce, Jeremy Gelbwaks (1970-1971), Brian Forster (1971-1974), Suzanne Crough and David Madden.

The Partridge Family released eight studio albums during the show's run. The Partridge Family's biggest hit was the song "I Think I Love You", which was ranked #1 on US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1970. Other hits included "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted", "I'll Meet You Halfway", "I Woke Up in Love This Morning", "It's One of Those Nights (Yes Love)", "Am I Losing You", "Looking Through the Eyes of Love", "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" and "A Friend and a Lover". Cassidy also had much solo success with performances around the world. He released twelve studio albums, three live albums, six compilation albums, two soundtrack albums and twenty-four singles.

Cassidy received an Emmy nomination for his role as Officer Don Shay in a 1978 episode of Police Story titled "A Chance to Live." The episode was the pilot for the spin-off series David Cassidy: Man Undercover. The short-lived 1978-1979 NBC police drama also starred Wendy Rastatter, Elizabeth Reddin, Simon Oakland, Ray Vitte and Michael A. Salcido. He also performed the show's theme song titled "Hard Times (Hard Crimes)".

In 2009, he co-starred with his half-brother Patrick in the short-lived ABC Family sitcom Ruby & The Rockits. The series was created by his half-brother Shaun. It also starred Alexa Vega, Austin Butler, Katie A. Keane and Kurt Doss.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Blossom, The John Larroquette Show, Malcolm in the Middle and Less Than Perfect. He also wrote and performed the theme song for The John Larroquette Show. Some of his other drama guest appearances included Fantasy Island, Matt Houston, Tales of the Unexpected, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Flash, The Agency and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Mr. Cassidy was one of the biggest teen idols and pop singers of the 1970s. He was a man of many talents as an actor and singer. We thank him for the many hours of laughter and entertainment he brought us over the years. He will be greatly missed.

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

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 week, I gave a spotlight to a comedy that I would call one of the best shows on TV right now - BoJack Horseman. This week, I'd like to give a similar spotlight to a show that I feel may be equally as fantastic - The Good Place, which returned to NBC on Wednesday night for a second season. The Good Place is a high concept comedy about a woman named Eleanor who dies and ends up in the "good place" - only to quickly find out that it may not be where she belongs.

So much of The Good Place has to be seen rather than read - it's one of the most unique and fascinating shows to ever air on network television. In many ways, The Good Place is reinventing what the network sitcom could be. Granted, there are plenty of great, more traditional sitcoms on network television that are excellent, and I don't think the traditional sitcom format will go away or even needs to. But The Good Place offers something genuinely fresh, that neither a traditional network sitcom or traditional cable drama can offer. In many ways, it feels like a marriage of the two forms. It has the quirky and relatable characters of network sitcoms, along with the often hilarious and wide-reaching jokes. It also has the intricate storytelling and carefully mended serialization of a drama on par with a series like LOST or Breaking Bad - the kind of show that's so addicting and full of unexpected twists and turns that you can't help but keep watching. There have been few shows that have seamlessly blended the two types of television, or even attempted it - nevertheless done it as well as The Good Place.

In addition, The Good Place is the rare TV show that actually deals with rather big questions of ethics. Much of the first season revolved around ethical arguments that Eleanor attempted to learn to better fit into the world of The Good Place. As the season continued, those ethical arguments began to occur about the actual world the show was taking place in, and the rigid "good place, bad place" divide the show's afterlife forced humans into. Those questions become more apparent as the series enters its second season - all in a half-hour sitcom on NBC. Quite frankly, there's nothing quite like it.

Saturday is Binge Day! FXX will air all 17 episodes from Season One of The Mick on Saturday, September 23 beginning at 3:30PM to 12:00AM ET/PT.

Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “dysfunctional family,” hit comedy The Mick returns for its second season with all-new outrageous shenanigans – from inadvertent kidnappings to minor crossbow injuries. The series stars Kaitlin Olson as MICKEY, an unapologetic degenerate stuck raising her spoiled niece (Sofia Black-D’Elia) and nephews (Thomas Barbusca, Jack Stanton) amid the lap of luxury in Greenwich, CT. Although constantly pulled between enjoying her lavish new lifestyle and trying to control three monstrous children who have unlimited lines of credit, Mickey is now in it for the long haul. With the help of her on-again, off-boyfriend (Scott MacArthur) and the kids’ live-in housekeeper (Carla Jimenez), she is determined to make it work, or, at the very least, black out during the parts that don’t.

Season Two of The Mick premieres on Fox at a new time on Tuesday, September 26 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT).

In "The Hotel," Mickey and the kids are forced to downgrade from their temporary residence at a hotel after their financial advisor cuts them off due to excessive spending. Mickey and Sabrina refuse to accept the decision and launder up a plan to prevent anyone from stopping their stride. Meanwhile, Jimmy teaches Chip that the tricks to living in a luxurious hotel can be simple.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It has been a crazy week with a solar eclipse (not quite this one) and other events, but things in the world have entertainment have been rather quiet. However, we are hearing about another reboot (big surprise!), a pilot at NBC from Norman Lear, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Who to Follow: Diane Guerrero (Twitter)

Claim to Fame: Diane Guerrero is probably not a household name that you know, but you may recognize her from some of the work that she has done. So far, she is probably best known for her role of playing inmate Maritza Ramos in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, but at the end of the season (sort of a spoiler alert, though we really don't know what happened), some things happened to suggest her character may not be back next season. That's just fine though, because she already had a new gig lined up, as she will be a regular on the CBS series Superior Donuts next season. She has also had a recurring role on the series Jane the Virgin.

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

One of the major trends in television comedy lately has been to depict the lives of people who are generally rich, famous and much more privileged than the average viewer of said comedies. This dates back all the way back to the likes of Friends and Seinfeld, sitcoms about people who held down respectable jobs and managed to live in impressive sized apartments in the most expensive and desirable city in the world. This continued into the 2000s, with nearly every major sitcom representing people in high-class jobs living lavish lifestyles - 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, and even cable comedies such as Girls, Entourage, and Louie.

I don't mean to knock these shows - I love most of them! But it's an interesting trend, especially considering it wasn't always the case. Older sitcoms had no problems depicting rural lifestyles (Green Acres, The Andy Griffith Show, etc), or working class families (All in the Family, Roseanne) or low-wage workers (Taxi, Cheers). And there's something about sitcoms that are able to depict the lives of ordinary, everyday people and highlight how the challenges and complexities of everyday, middle class life in America. Shows like Roseanne and All in the Family were able to capture the zeitgeist by reflecting what Americans were going through every day back at them on their TV screens. And there's nothing like an ensemble show about working class misfits like Taxi or Cheers that helps you feel just a little bit more at home at your own less-than-enthralling job.

Luckily, there are signs the times are changing. There are a handful of sitcoms on the air right now that channel some of these older, working class sitcoms - The Middle does an excellent job of portraying working class family life, while Superstore has echoed Taxi or Cheers in the way it creates a makeshift family of people in a down-on-their-luck position. ABC has also officially announced a Roseanne reboot that should certainly prove interesting in our current era. It's been fun hanging with high society, but I'm ready for sitcoms to get a little more down to Earth.

Fox has set the fall 2017 premiere dates for its new and returning series. Most will launch during premiere week (Sept 25-Oct. 1), but there are a few exceptions. The Gifted, the new family adventure series, produced in association with Marvel Television, launches Monday, Oct. 2 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, following the return of Lucifer at 8:00 PM ET/PT. No word yet what will air on Monday, Sept. 25, the first night of the new TV season. New comedic drama The Orville, from creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane and director Jon Favreau, debuts with a special two-night series premiere on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 8:00 PM ET/PT and Sunday, Sept. 17 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, immediately following NFL On Fox doubleheaders. The Orville will then make its time period premiere on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, following Gotham's Season Four return on a new night at 8:00 PM ET/PT. The new buddy comedy Ghosted, starring Craig Robinson and Adam Scott, premieres Oct. 1 at 8:30 PM ET/PT, during a Sunday night of premieres, including Bob's Burgers (7:30PM ET/PT), The Simpsons (8:00 PM ET/PT), Family Guy (9:00PM ET/PT and The Last Man on Earth (9:30PM ET/PT).

Lethal Weapon Season Two now leads off Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 26 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, followed by the season premieres of The Mick at 9:00 PM ET/PT and Brooklyn Nine-Nine at 9:30 PM ET/PT. Empire (8:00PM ET/PT) and Star (9:00 PM ET/PT) join forces on an epic night of music and drama, beginning Wednesday, Sept. 27. Friday, Sept. 29 sees the returns of Hell's Kitchen (8:00PM ET/PT) and The Exorcist (9:00 PM ET/PT).

Hit comedy The Mick, starring Kaitlin Olson, has been renewed for a second season. On last night's all-new episode of The Mick, "The Baggage," Mickey's (Kaitlin Olson) unwanted suitors team up to thwart her new romance. Meanwhile, Sabrina (Sofia Black-D'Elia) and Alba (Carla Jimenez) teach Ben (Jack Stanton) a lesson in responsibility. Delivering an average Multi-Platform audience of eight million viewers, The Mick is a comedy about an unapologetic degenerate (Kaitlin Olson) who suddenly finds herself stuck raising her spoiled niece (Sofia Black-D'Elia) and nephews (Thomas Barbusca, newcomer Jack Stanton) in affluent Greenwich, CT. It's pretty much everything she never wanted. Regardless, she's determined to rise to the occasion and transform these little monsters into honest, hard-working, decent members of society - something she knows absolutely nothing about. The series also stars Carla Jimenez and newcomer Scott MacArthur.

Jerrod Carmichael returns to HBO for his second standup special on the network when Jerrod Carmichael: 8 debuts Saturday, March 11 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT). Taped in December before a live audience at historic Masonic Hall in New York City, the show features his subversive, thought-provoking take on cultural norms. The special will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals. Performing in the round and engaging audience members during his act, Carmichael addresses a wide range of subjects, including Trump's victory, climate change, supporting the troops, animal rights, being a good boyfriend and his top four fears, as well as exploring larger themes like race, politics, love and family.

Jerrod Carmichael made his HBO debut in 2014 with the solo special Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store. He currently stars in the broadcast network comedy series The Carmichael Show, which begins its third season this year on NBC. Carmichael's feature-film credits include Neighbors, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, The Meddler and the upcoming Transformers: The Last Knight.

Fox was up at the TCA 2017 Winter Press Tour yesterday and a whole bunch of news came out. First up, Fox is announcing premiere dates for new comedy Making History, new unscripted series Kicking & Screaming and new event series Shots Fired and Prison Break. New comedy Making History premieres Sunday, March 5 at 8:30PM ET/PT, and follows three friends from two different centuries as they try to balance the thrill of time travel with the mundane concerns of their everyday lives. The wildly original series stars Adam Pally, Leighton Meester and Yassir Lester. Also that night, Last Man on Earth makes its spring return at 9:30 PM ET/PT. Comedic competition series Kicking & Screaming teams 10 expert survivalists with pampered partners to face the toughest challenges of their lives. Debuting Thursday, March 9 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), and hosted by Hannah Simone, the series drops these unlikely duos into a tropical jungle in Fiji, where they must overcome dangerous animals, raging rivers, hunger and extreme weather.

Examining the dangerous aftermath of two racially charged shootings in a small Southern town, event series Shots Fired launches Wednesday, March 22 at 8:00PM ET/PT, followed by the spring premiere of Empire at 9:00 PM ET/PT. The compelling series stars Sanaa Lathan, Stephan James, Helen Hunt, Richard Dreyfuss, and Stephen Moyer. In the next action-packed chapter of Prison Break, premiering Tuesday, April 4 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, original series stars Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Sarah Wayne Callies, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, Rockmond Dunbar and Paul Adelstein are reunited for an all-new adventure spanning the globe. As previously announced, 24: Legacy begins its two-night premiere event on Sunday, Feb. 5, following Super Bowl LI, and continues Monday, Feb. 6. New police drama APB launches Monday, Feb. 6, following 24: Legacy. Season Five of MasterChef Junior premieres Thursday, Feb. 9. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has its spring premiere Tuesday, April 11. After the season finale of 24: Legacy on Monday, April 17, Gotham returns Monday, April 24. Following APB's season finale on Monday, April 24, Lucifer's spring premiere airs Monday, May 1.

In other Fox news at the press tour, Fox has ordered four additional episodes of new comedy, The Mick, bringing the total to 17 episodes. The next all-new episode of The Mick, starring Kaitlin Olson, will air on a special night and time Sunday, Jan. 15 at 9:00PM ET/PT, following The Simpsons' first-ever one-hour episode. In the all-new episode, "The Balloon," Mickey (Kaitlin Olson) learns that the family has forgotten Ben's (Jack Stanton) seventh birthday, and forces them to put their selfish tendencies aside for one day and throw him the celebration he deserves, which proves way harder than planned. In its regular time period on Tuesday, Jan. 17 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT), the all-new "The Fire" episode airs, in which Mickey tries to quit smoking, while Chip (Thomas Barbusca) attempts to be a role model for Ben, who will only listen to his new imaginary friend.

Other Fox tidbits: Grammy-, Golden Globe- and Academy Award-winning actor and musician Jamie Foxx is set to host Beat Shazam, a unique and interactive game show in which teams of two race against the clock and each other as they attempt to identify the biggest hit songs of all time. In the end, the team with the highest score will outlast the competition and go against Shazam, the world's most popular song identification app, for the chance to win a cash prize. Executive-produced by Mark Burnett, the straight-to-series order is scheduled to premiere in Summer 2017 on Fox. Next, Fox has renewed the hit drama Empire for a fourth season. The series returns for its spring premiere Wednesday, March 22 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) as we mentioned earlier. And finally, Emmy Award winner Andy Cohen will host Love Connection, a new one-hour series that amps up the original hit dating show for today's audiences. Fox has ordered 15 episodes of the new unscripted series, to be executive-produced by Mike Fleiss (The Bachelor). Additionally, Cohen will serve as a co-executive producer. The series is set to premiere on Fox in Summer 2017.

The Mick - Tuesdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on Fox
Special Premiere Sunday, January 1, 2017 at 8:00PM ET/5:00PM PT

by Vincent

Mackenzie, aka Mickey, is an unapologetic degenerate who suddenly finds herself stuck in affluent Greenwich, CT, raising her spoiled niece and nephews: Sabrina an ambitious, 18-going-on-30-year-old who is a worthy adversary to Mickey; Chip, 13, an arrogant, entitled neo-con-in-the-making with an extremely punchable face; and Ben, an adorably fragile nerd. It's pretty much everything Mickey has never wanted. Regardless, she's determined to rise to the occasion and transform these little monsters into honest, hard-working, decent members of society - something she knows absolutely nothing about.

Cast Details:

Kaitlin Olson as Mackenzie Murphy
Sofia Black D'Ella as Sabrina Pemberton
Thomas Barbusca as Chip Pemberton
Jack Stanton as Ben Pemberton
Carla Jimenez as Alba
Susan Park as Liz

Kaitlin Olson (Mackenzie) is an actress best known for her role as Dee Reynolds on the long-running hit sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She is also known for her role as Destiny in Finding Dory.

Sofia Black D'Elia (Sabrina) is an actress previously known for her role in shows such as Gossip Girl, The Messengers and The Night Of.

Thomas Barbusca (Chip) is a young actor known for his guest spots on shows such as American Horror Story, The League, and Another Period. He will also appear in the upcoming Netflix reboot of One Day at a Time.

Jack Stanton (Ben) is a young actor. The Mick will be his first role in television/film.

Carla Jimenez (Alba) is an actress known for her recurring roles on Raising Hope and Last Man Standing, and for her guest spots on shows such as Community, The Mindy Project, and 2 Broke Girls.

Susan Park (Liz) is an actress best known for her role as Christine on HBO's Vice Principals. She has also appeared in recurring roles on shows such as Fresh Off the Boat, Fargo, and Life in Pieces.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs Sunday, January 1 at 8:00PM)

An unapologetic degenerate moves to affluent Greenwich, CT, to raise the outrageously spoiled kids of her wealthy sister and brother-in-law, who have fled the country to avoid prosecution for illegal activities in the all-new "Pilot" special premiere episode.

"The Grandparents" (Airs Tuesday, January 3 at 8:30PM)

The Pemberton kids learn some lessons in "tough love," when Mickey (Kaitlin Olson) calls in their overly strict grandmother (guest star Concetta Tomei) to discipline them. Meanwhile, Mickey reunites with Jimmy (Scott MacArthur) and brings Alba (Carla Jimenez) the ride.

Analysis:

For nearly 12 years, Kaitlin Olson has quietly been knocking it out of the park on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the funniest member of one of TV's funniest ensembles. The Mick feels like a very deliberate attempt to take her talents and deliver them to a broader audience in slightly more accessible fashion – and it does a pretty good job of it, as Olson carries most of the show in the four episodes I've watched so far. It's very easy to see The Mick being completely insufferable, given the amount of clichés at work here, from "total mess who winds up having a heart of gold" to "spoiled rich kids learn that money isn't everything." Luckily, the show manages to avoid these pratfalls, mostly thanks to Olson's comic talents, but there are enough well-crafted punchlines and cleverly subverted expectations in these first handful of episodes that I'm willing to have some faith there's more here beyond just a really solid lead performance. The kids are surprisingly well-developed by the end of the fourth episode, managing to go slightly beyond their textbook stereotypes and feel a little more like actual human beings than you might expect from spoiled rich kids in a sitcom. And the show seems to acknowledge that its premise is a little rote, given how many times a potential "teachable moment" is quickly and hilariously botched and ridiculed.

Still, the potential for irritation isn't completely absent from The Mick – there are several moments that feel like they're trying a bit too hard to be "network TV edgy," such as an unnecessary plot where Mickey drugs Alba (the family's housekeeper) that doesn't really add anything to the show other than "hey, we're doing this kind of stuff, isn't that cool?!" There are also a handful of moments where Mickey's neglect of the children she's been tasked with caring cross the line into genuinely disturbing, which would be fine if The Mick was able to go as dark with its humor as Olson's other series, but its status as a network sitcom revolving around family will likely keep it from going there. The Mick is eventually going to have to sort out exactly what kind of comedy it wants to be, but for now there's enough promise here that I'm willing to stick around for Olson's performance and some solid, well-earned laughs while the rest of the show works itself out.

Conclusion:

The Mick has an incredibly strong lead performance, surprisingly well-developed characters, and some genuinely hilarious jokes and comic set-ups that help it navigate some tonal wonkiness and overly-hasty plotting. The show has some annoying tendencies and sometimes falls into the pattern of "edginess for the sake of edginess," but there is enough to like here that it's worth tuning into, and hopefully it can be given enough time to sort itself out and be the truly great starring vehicle for Kaitlin Olson that it has the potential to be.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

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

Discuss the show after you watch it on Sunday, January 1, 2017 at 8:00PM ET/5:00PM PT on our message board.

Related Links:

Fox.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

The Mick Photo Gallery

Preview:

One of the most beloved comedies in television history will light up the airwaves at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day, Sunday, January 1 in New York City, when WLNY-TV (Channels 10/55) presents The Odd Couple marathon from 12 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m (the only break is at 9am for a half-hour for Sunday Mass). The marathon will include 41 episodes from the classic series, culminating with the 1973 "My Strife in Court" episode, featuring Felix attempting to act as his own attorney in court (8:00 p.m.) and the 1975 "Felix Remarries" episode when Felix convinces his ex-wife to remarry him (8:30 p.m.). WLNY's The Odd Couple marathon will also feature the 1973 "The Ides of April" episode where Felix inadvertently gets Oscar called in for an audit from the IRS (3:00 p.m.), 1973's "Let's Make a Deal" episode, where Felix and Oscar appear on a game show in an attempt to win Felix a new bed (5:00 p.m.) and the 1973 "Take My Furniture Please" episode where both Felix and Oscar take turns redecorating their apartment (6:00 p.m.).

We told you that MacGyver is coming on Dec. 19, but now we have the full MeTV Winter 2017 schedule that begins in January. From the return of one of television's most iconic series to brand-new action and adventure, criminal investigations and even supernatural situations, the MeTV winter 2017 schedule — starting Monday, January 2, 2017 — promises to thaw out those wintertime blues. All he needs is his Swiss Army knife, a roll of duct tape and maybe a paperclip or two. Angus MacGyver brings his bad-guy-busting ingenuity to our schedule twice every weekday. And Mac joins the schedule early: Starting December 19, catch MacGyver weekdays at 5PM | 4C and weeknights at 9PM | 8C. Gee Whiz! One of television's most iconic series returns and moved to MeTV - Leave It to Beaver comes to weekdays at 8AM | 7C and 8:30AM | 7:30C. The hunks of the California Highway Patrol are cruising back into action on CHiPs. And like MacGyver, Ponch and Jon join the schedule early: Starting December 19, watch the motorcycle-riding officers keep law and order in sunny Los Angeles weekdays at 4PM | 3C.

The original, 30-minute episodes of Gunsmoke return, weekdays at 1PM | 12C & 1:30PM | 12:30C. These black-and-white episodes, which originally ran from 1955 to 1961, compose the series' first six seasons. Also, a fresh batch of Columbo movies comes to Sunday nights at 8PM | 7C. See Peter Falk as the sleuth during his ABC years, which comprises made-for-TV movies produced between 1989 and 2003. He may not be a gunslinger, but he's unstoppable in a fistfight. James Garner stars as Bret Maverick, an Old West anti-hero who's a good guy at heart. Tune in for Maverick on Saturdays at 10AM | 9C. Late night crime doesn't stand a chance — Mannix, Ironside and 77 Sunset Strip slap the cuffs on criminals weeknights starting at 2AM | 1C. And finally, Carl Kolchak investigates the bizarre and supernatural Sunday nights at 10PM | 9C. See the intrepid newspaper man face off against a myriad of monsters on Kolchak: The Night Stalker.




The special premiere of new comedy The Mick will air Sunday, Jan. 1 in all time zones immediately following NFL doubleheader game coverage and The OT, at 8:00 PM ET and 5:00 PM PT, on Fox. The episode then will encore that same night in the Pacific time zone at 8:00 PM and the Mountain time zone at 7:00 PM. The series will make its time period premiere with an all-new episode Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 8:31 PM ET/PT. The Mick is a comedy about an unapologetic degenerate (Kaitlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) who suddenly finds herself stuck raising her spoiled niece and nephews (Sofia Black-D'Elia, Thomas Barbusca, Jack Stanton) in affluent Greenwich, CT. It's pretty much everything she never wanted. Regardless, she's determined to rise to the occasion and transform these little monsters into honest, hard-working, decent members of society - something she knows absolutely nothing about. The series also stars Carla Jimenez and Scott MacArthur.

Fox is announcing premiere dates for new comedy The Mick (special premiere Jan. 1; time period premiere Jan. 3), new drama Star (special premiere Dec. 14; time period premiere Jan. 4), new reality My Kitchen Rules (Jan. 12), new drama 24: Legacy (two-night event beginning Feb. 5, following Super Bowl LI, and continuing on Feb. 6) and new drama APB (Feb. 6); and returning series Bones: The Final Chapter (Jan. 3), Sleepy Hollow (Jan. 6) and MasterChef Junior (Feb. 9). In addition, New Girl moves to its new Tuesday night time period of 8:00 PM ET/PT, beginning Jan. 3. Hell's Kitchen moves to Thursdays, beginning Jan. 5, with two all-new back-to-back episodes at 8:00 & 9:00 PM ET/PT. The series then premieres in its regular time period Jan. 12 at 8:00. Rosewood moves to its new Friday night time period (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), beginning Jan. 6.

New comedy The Mick will have a special premiere on Sunday, Jan. 1 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, following the NFL doubleheader on Fox. The series will then premiere in its regular time period with an all-new episode Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 8:30 PM ET/PT, after New Girl, which moves to its new time period of 8:00PM ET/PT, beginning that night. Following The Mick's time period premiere, Bones: The Final Chapter at 9:00 PM ET/PT premieres. The 12-episode run will celebrate the long-running comedic procedural. On an epic night of music and drama, Star, the new drama from Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Lee Daniels (Empire) and Tom Donaghy, will have a special premiere on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, following Empire's shocking Season Three fall finale, airing at a special time at 8:00PM ET/PT. Star will then make its time period premiere with an all-new episode Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. The series stars Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award, Grammy Award and Golden Globe Award winner Queen Latifah, Emmy Award nominee Benjamin Bratt, and newcomers Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, Brittany O'Grady and Amiyah Scott.

Hell's Kitchen moves to Thursdays, beginning Jan. 5, with all-new back-to-back episodes. The following week, Thursday, Jan. 12, Hell's Kitchen moves into its regular time period at 8:00 PM ET/PT, followed by the premiere of new series My Kitchen Rules at 9:00 PM ET/PT. The series pits celebrity duos against each other as they cook and critique each other's food in Hollywood homes. The celebrity pairs include TV host and *NSYNC member Lance Bass, R&B recording artists Brandy and Ray J, comedian Andrew Dice Clay, country superstar Naomi Judd and reality TV star Brandi Glanville. In addition to being judged by their rival competitors, each team will also be critiqued by two professional chef judges, Curtis Stone and Cat Cora. Rosewood moves to Fridays, beginning Jan. 6 at 8. The series will be followed by Sleepy Hollow at 9:00 PM ET/PT, which returns for a fourth season full of supernatural creatures, mysterious events and the search for the truth about the lives of the Witnesses. The ticking clock restarts when 24: Legacy debuts with a special two-night event beginning Sunday, Feb. 5 following Super Bowl LI, and continuing with its time period premiere on Monday, Feb. 6 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Following 24: Legacy's time period premiere on Feb. 6, new police drama with a high-tech twist APB debuts at 9:00 PM ET/PT.

On Thursday, Feb. 9 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, MasterChef Junior goes back for fifths, with award-winning Chef Gordon Ramsay, renowned pastry chef Christina Tosi and an array of celebrity guest judges. Following The Mick's special premiere on Jan. 1, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has its winter finale with two all-new back-to-back episodes at 8:30 & 9:00PM ET/PT. Gotham and Lucifer air their winter finales on Jan. 30. The 16th winner of Hell's Kitchen will be announced during the series' season finale on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 8:00PM ET/PT. Son of Zorn airs its season finale on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 8:30. Both Lethal Weapon and Star air their season finales March 15. Empire begins Part Two of its third season March 22 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. Return dates for Gotham, Lucifer and Brooklyn Nine-Nine to be announced. And additional premiere dates and schedule details to be announced.

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 Nov. 7-11, 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, November 5, 2016

• Jamie Lynn Sigler (Guys with Kids) - Jamie Lynn talks about living with multiple sclerosis on Oprah: Where Are They Now? at 10pm ET/PT on OWN.
• Kim Fields (The Facts of Life/Living Single) - Kim talks about her role as a Real Housewife on Oprah: Where Are They Now? at 10pm ET/PT on OWN.

Monday, November 7, 2016

• Don Cheadle (House of Lies/The Golden Palace) - Watch Don on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Daveed Diggs (black-ish) - David is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• John Goodman (Roseanne/Normal, Ohio) - John visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andrew is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Molly Shannon (Kath & Kim/Cracking Up) - Molly visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project) - Ike is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• John Krasinski (The Office) - John appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Judy Greer (Married/Mad Love/Arrested Development) - Judy is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Alice Wetterlund (Silicon Valley/People of Earth) - Alice appears on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Sarah Jessica Parker (Divorce/Sex and the City/Square Pegs) - Sarah talks about Divorce on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Mo'Nique (The Parkers) and J. B. Smoove (The Millers/'Til Death/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - The cast of Almost Christmas join the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT. Mo'Nique will also be on The Real, so check your local listings.
• Jason Sudeikis (The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Jason talks about Dead Poets Society on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Jane Krakowski (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/30 Rock) - Jane will be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Sheryl Lee Ralph (Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Kevin Nealon (Man with a Plan/Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Kevin appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

• Paul Feig (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/The Jackie Thomas Show) - Paul is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Paul F. Tompkins (DAG, Ron Funches (Undateable) and Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Paul, Ron and Whitney are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Daveed Diggs (black-ish) - Daveed visits LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
Kevin James (Kevin Can Wait/The King of Queens) - Kevin appears on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Heather Graham (Emily's Reasons Why Not) - Heather chats on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah whips up a heart-healthy mac and cheese on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah makes popcorn cupcakes on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Tia Mowry (Instant Mom/The Game/Sister, Sister) - Tia cook grilled lollipop lamb chops on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Jake Smollett (On Our Own) - Jake makes yakitori chicken meatballs on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• André Holland (1600 Penn) - André is a guest on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men/Bosom Buddies) - Holland appears on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
J. B. Smoove (The Millers/'Til Death/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - J. B. is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Wendi McClendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement/Reno 911!) - Wendi appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

• John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun/Twenty Good Years) - Watch John on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Chris D'Elia (Undateable/Whitney) - Chris is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Julie Bowen (Modern Family/Ed) - Julie appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Ricky Gervais (The Office) - Ricky is a guest on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Mary Steenburgen (The Last Man on Earth/Ink) - Mary shares stories about some of her most iconic roles on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe (Second Time Around) - Nicole and Boris rank the ten most popular breakfast sandwiches on the market in a head-to-head taste test on The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings. Nicole joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Billy Eichner (Difficult People) - Billy talks about Billy on the Street on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Rob Corddry (Ballers/The Winner) - Rob is a guest on Chelsea on Netflix.
• Yara Shahidi (black-ish) - Yara appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

• Alia Shawkat (Search Party/Arrested Development) - Catch Alia on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Issa Rae (Insecure) - Issa visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Matt Braunger (Up All Night) - Matt appears on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show) - Jennifer is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Chris appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Desmin Borges (You're the Worst) - Desmin talks about playing Iraq War veteran, Edgar Quintero on FX’s You’re the Worst on the AOL Build Show at 12pm.
• Lori Loughlin (Fuller House/Full House) - Lori and her daughter Bella talk about their new Hallmark Christmas movie, Every Christmas Has A Story, airing November 12 on NBC's Today in the 9am hour and on the AOL Build Show at 2:30pm.
• Todd Bridges (Diff'rent Strokes), Dustin Diamond (Saved by the Bell) and Jaimee Foxworth (Family Matters) - Former childhood stars who hit rock bottom. Have they bounced back? Todd Bridges from Diff’rent Strokes fame opens up about his demons. Has he managed to stay clean? Dustin Diamond from Saved By The Bell opens up about his infamous sex tape scandal and why his castmates will have nothing to do with him. From child star to porn star, why did Jaimee Foxworth from Family Matters turn to adult films? A revealing hour from some of your favorite stars on The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.
• Maureen McCormick (The Brady Bunch) and David Cassidy (The Partridge Family) - Maureen and David are guests on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Merrin Dungey (The King of Queens) - Merrin will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Jane Krakowski (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/30 Rock) - Jane will be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Molly Ringwald (The Facts of Life/Townies) - Molly talks about Terms of Endearment on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Colin Hanks (Life in Pieces) and Zoe Lister-Jones (Life in Pieces/Friends with Better Lives/Whitney) - Colin and Zoe are guests on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

Friday, November 11, 2016

• Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) and Albert Tsai (Dr. Ken/Trophy Wife) - Watch Ken and Albert on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Nathan Lane (Modern Family/Encore! Encore!/Charlie Lawrence) - Nathan is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Jake Smollett (On Our Own) - Jake makes a cheesy manicotti on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Mo'Nique (The Parkers) and J. B. Smoove (The Millers/'Til Death/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - The cast of Almost Christmas show you the best cheat foods that won’t wreck your blood sugar on The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.
• Merrin Dungey (The King of Queens) - Merrin joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Dan Fogler (Man Up!) - Dan and the cast of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them are guests on the AOL Build Show at 1pm.
• Lori Loughlin (Fuller House/Full House) Lori and her daughter Bella talk about their new Hallmark Christmas movie, Every Christmas Has A Story, airing November 12 on Access Hollywood Live. Lori will also be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.

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!

Put down the dish towel, stop the cooking and cleaning and come get filled up on Freeform's annual "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas" programming celebration, starting Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24 and featuring some of Disney and Disney-Pixar's classic films, including Toy Story and Toy Story 2, as well as Brave, Tangled, Mulan, Wreck-It Ralph and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Additionally, during this year's "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas," Freeform will premiere The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Boxtrolls, and the network premiere of the fourth installment of the hit Cinderella Story franchise, A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits, starring Sofia Carson (Descendants, Adventures in Babysitting).

Other programming for the week-long countdown includes Toy Story of Terror, Dennis the Menace, Little Rascals, Jingle All the Way and the Freeform premiere of The Holiday. The 25 Days of Christmas schedule will be out soon, so stay with us. One more item of news to report, Disney's Academy Award(R)-winning Frozen, the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, will make its network broadcast premiere as part of the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday, December 11 from 8:00-10:04 p.m. ET on the ABC Television Network. The Making of Frozen: A Return to Arendelle airs right after from 10:04-11:00 p.m. ET, on the ABC Television Network with an exclusive sneak peek of an all-new, all-original holiday special starring the whole Frozen cast of characters, including Olaf, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Sven. The currently untitled Frozen special will air Holiday 2017 on the ABC Television Network.

New single-camera comedy The Mick will premiere on Sunday, Jan. 1 at 8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT, following the NFL doubleheader on Fox. The series will then make its time period premiere with an all-new episode Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 8:31PM ET/PT. Beginning Jan. 3, New Girl moves to its new Tuesday night time period of 8:00PM ET/PT. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has its two-part winter finale on Jan. 1, following The Mick from 9-10pm. The series returns in the spring. The Mick follows Mackenzie, aka "Mickey" (Kaitlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), a brash, two-bit hustler from Rhode Island who must assume guardianship of her sister's three high-maintenance children. As irresponsible as Mickey has been her entire life, she may discover that responsibility isn't the buzzkill she always thought it would be. The series also stars Sofia Black D'Elia (The Night Of), Thomas Barbusca (Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life), newcomer Jack Stanton, Carla Jimenez (Last Man Standing) and newcomer Scott MacArthur.

The network upfronts are next week, but Fox has announced series orders for six new series, including two new comedies (both single-camera). Starting with the comedies, they have ordered Making History, which chronicles three friends from two different centuries as they try to balance the thrill of time travel with the mundane concerns of their present-day lives. Two shows in one, it's both a rollicking historical adventure, and a contemporary comedy about love, friendship and trying to fit in to an increasingly complex and impersonal world. Adam Pally and Leighton Meester star. In the other comedy, The Mick, Murphy (Kaitlin Olson) is a brash, blue collar, two-bit hustler who has spent her entire life gaming the system and shirking any semblance of responsibility. But when her estranged sister and billionaire brother-in-law flee the country to escape federal charges, the opulent, care-free life Mickey has always envied is finally within reach... But there is one minor catch: she must assume custody of her sister's three rich, entitled, high-maintenance children.

The four new dramas are APB, The Exorcist, Lethal Weapon and Pitch. Stars for these dramas include Justin Kirk, Natalie Martinez, Eric Winter and Ernie Hudson in APB; Geena Davis in The Exorcist; Damon Wayans, Clayne Crawford, Jordana Brewster and Keesha Sharp in Lethal Weapon; and Kylie Bunbury, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Ali Larter, Mark Consuelos, and Dan Lauria in Pitch. These four dramas join the previously ordered to series 24: Legacy and Star. Stay with us for continued updates, as the networks continue to order the new series prior to the scheduling announcements next week.

Character actor William Schallert, who starred as Martin Lane in The Patty Duke Show, has died. He died on May 8 at his home in Pacific Palisades, California. Mr. Schallert was 93.

Schallert's early sitcom guest appearances included It's a Great Life, Blondie, Leave it to Beaver, Hey, Jeannie!, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Father Knows Best, The Donna Reed Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Hennesey and The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Some of his early drama guest appearances included The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Maverick, Peter Gunn, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Philip Marlowe, Lawman, The Twilight Zone, Johnny Ringo, The Rifleman, The Rebel and Perry Mason.

Schallert appeared as Leander Pomfritt, Dobie's English and science teacher at his high school and later one of his college professors, in 24 episodes of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis from 1959-1962. He appeared in the recurring role through the end of season three. He reprised the role in the 1988 CBS TV movie Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis.

He starred as Martin Lane, Patty Lane's (Patty Duke) father, in The Patty Duke Show. Martin Lane was the managing editor of the New York Daily Chronicle. The series ran for three seasons on ABC from 1963-1966. It also starred Jean Byron, Paul O'Keefe and Eddie Applegate. The cast reunited in the 1999 CBS TV movie The Patty Duke Show: Still Rockin' in Brooklyn Heights. In 2009, the cast (except Byron, who died in February 2006) reunited again for a series of PSAs for the Social Security Administration.

Some of his other sitcom starring roles included playing Teddy Futterman, a TV network executive, in the short-lived 1976 ABC sitcom The Nancy Walker Show. He starred as Russ Lawrence, Gidget's father, in the 1986-1988 syndicated sitcom The New Gidget. He appeared as Wesley Hodges in the first season of the NBC sitcom The Torkelsons in 1991-1992.

His other 1960s and 1970s sitcom guest appearances included Hazel, McKeever & the Colonel, Ensign O'Toole, The Lucy Show, Pistols 'n' Petticoats, Bewitched, That Girl, Room 222, Get Smart, The Partridge Family, Love, American Style, Maude, One Day at a Time and Archie Bunker's Place. His later guest appearances included The New Leave it to Beaver, Murphy Brown, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Coach, Roseanne, Dream On, My Name Is Earl, How I Met Your Mother and According to Jim. His final appearance was on 2 Broke Girls in 2014.

He starred as Carson Drew, Nancy Drew's father, in The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries in 1977-1978. In 1979, he starred as Rev. John March in the short-lived NBC drama Little Women. He played Harry Hopkins in the 1988-1989 ABC miniseries War and Remembrance.

Some of his other drama guest appearances included The Virginian, Mission: Impossible, Star Trek, The Wild Wild West, Mod Squad, Hawaii Five-O, Gunsmoke, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, Lou Grant, Magnum, P.I., Highway to Heaven, Quantum Leap, In the Heat of the Night, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Desperate Housewives.

Survivors include his sons Edwin, Joseph, Mark and Brendan and seven grandchildren.

The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with him on February 29, 2012.

It's sad that we have lost Patty Duke and her TV father in the last two months. Mr. Schallert was a fine character actor. He may have not been a household name, but his face was recognizable in his hundreds of television appearances during his prolific career. We thank him for the many hours of entertainment he brought us. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Patty Duke Show message board. View photos in our galleries.