SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We used to be known as Digital Digest around here and focused on DVD releases, but had to move on from that once those releases slowed down significantly... but this week, we have some actual DVD news about two sitcom releases of some favorites! We're also hearing casting news about the Lizzie McGuire reboot on Disney+ and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Take a spring break staycation with Antenna TV's "Gimme a Spring Break" marathon on Sunday, April 14, 2019. Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast entertainment network will air 16 hours/32 episodes of Gimme a Break!, starring Nell Harper as she works to keep the girls, the Chief and the house in order, from 5am-10pm ET. Special guest stars in the marathon episodes include Rosie O'Donnell, Sammy Davis Jr., Andy Gibb, the Pointer Sisters, Pat Sajak & Vanna White and Tony Randall. Gimme a Break! regularly airs on Antenna TV Weekdays 5:30pm ET / 2:30pm PT (and Sundays 12-1pm ET beginning in April).

Netflix has ordered a new coming-of-age comedy series from Mindy Kaling about the complicated life of a modern-day first generation Indian American teenage girl, inspired by Kaling's own childhood. Netflix has ordered 10 half-hour episodes. Casting has not been announced yet, nor has a title for the series. Much more information is still to come! The series creators, writers, executive producers and showrunners will be Mindy Kaling (Late Night, The Mindy Project, The Office) and Lang Fisher (The Mindy Project, Brooklyn Nine Nine). Howard Klein (The Office, The Mindy Project, Parks and Recreation) and David Miner (30 Rock, Master of None) will also executive produce.

Freeform has announced that newcomer Gigi Zumbado, Jessika Van (Seoul Searching) and Davi Santos (Tell Me a Story, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged) have joined the previously announced cast of Jordin Sparks, Matt Shively and Brooks Brantly in the highly anticipated new comedy series Besties (working title).

Zumbado will play Jesi; a free-spirited 23-year-old Cuban American, raised by two adoring gay dads, who is more than thrilled to find out she has a half-sister. Van will portray Luna; Becca's (Jordin Sparks) roommate and a brilliant med student who is number one in her class, but has no intention of being a doctor. Santos will portray Simon; the assistant to a high-powered agent, who is constantly at odds with Jesi.

Set in Los Angeles, the series will follow Becca (Jordin Sparks) and her newly discovered half-sister Jesi (Gigi Zumbado) as they're thrown into each other's lives by an online genetics test and have to figure out how to go from strangers to sisters. Ranada Shepard, Casey Johnson and David Windsor serve as creators and executive producers. Kenya Barris also serves as executive producer. Besties is produced by ABC Signature Studios. Stay with us for further updates.

Cher, Anita Hill, Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project, The Office), Alyssa Milano (Who's the Boss?, Romantically Challenged), Samira Wiley (The Handmaid's Tale, Orange Is the New Black) and Elle King have been added to the blockbuster lineup of incredible women set to appear on VH1 Trailblazer Honors. King will perform Baby Outlaw from her latest studio album, Shake the Spirit. Cher will be presenting to previously announced honoree Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The other honorees include Academy Award nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay, The Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke. Rita Ora will also perform. The one-hour VH1 Trailblazer Honors special event will air on International Women’s Day, Friday, March 8th at 9PM ET/PT, on VH1 and Logo.

Kicking off Women’s History Month, VH1 Trailblazer Honors will celebrate today’s most respected politicians, entertainers, artists, activists, allies and icons who have dedicated their time and steadfast commitments to the women’s movement and beyond. Centered around this year’s incredible breakthroughs in female empowerment and human rights, the annual event will feature the landmark achievements of its honorees. Additional talent to be announced.

The special event will take place at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles, a National Historic Landmark and extension of the Ebell of Los Angeles, a 125-year-old organization founded by women for women.

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

This week, Hulu announced the cancellation of Difficult People. Difficult People was in its third season, and although it was never a huge hit, it had gained a dedicated following and was one of the first Hulu originals that seemed to grab a decent-sized following. After Difficult People came Casual, another half-hour comedy (with dramatic elements) that gained some minor awards attention and a dedicated fanbase. The success of those two shows was combined with Hulu's acquisition of The Mindy Project after it was cancelled by Fox. Hulu seemed to be the home of beloved, if not incredibly well watched, comedies. However, over the past few months, Hulu has quietly announced the end of nearly its entire comedy slate. Casual will end with its next season, The Mindy Project is currently airing its final season, and Difficult People was cancelled without even an announcement.

This is an interesting move considering quirky, off-beat comedies and dramedies were what made Hulu stand out from its streaming competitors. However, Hulu was undoubtedly the little guy in the streaming wars - until it became the first streaming service to take home an Outstanding Series award with The Handmaid's Tale this year. The Handmaid's Tale was a cultural phenomenon that toppled over everything else Hulu had done up to that point, so it's not especially surprising that they would be switching up directions. Still, it's unfortunate to see any service that was once big on comedy turn their back towards it, so let's hope Hulu still has room for some original comedies.

Huddle around your TV New Year's Day for 18-straight hours of friends, football and fun with Antenna TV's "New Year Kickoff with Coach" marathon. Starting at 5am on January 1, 2018, Antenna TV will lineup the best episodes of Coach, starring Craig T. Nelson, as college football coach Hayden Fox, leading his team at home and on the field. Special episodes include Fox and his team's appearances in the "Pineapple Bowl," "Popcorn Bowl," "Patriot Bowl" & "Pioneer Bowl." Kickoff the new year with Coach, Antenna TV's newest lineup addition. As we mentioned earlier this week, beginning January 2, 2018, Coach will air weekdays at 11pm ET and weekends at 4:30pm ET.

Happy Fri-Yay! Our regular Fri-Yay column will return next week as we have a short hiatus. But we still have news as always, so let's get to it! Hulu has announced its Fall 2017 slate with premiere dates. The Mindy Project, Chance, I Love You, America, Freakish, Future Man, Marvel's Runaways, East Los High and Shut Eye dates were announced. The Mindy Project - The Final Season Premiere Date: Tuesday, September 12 with an episode count of 10 and starring Mindy Kaling, Ed Weeks, Ike Barinholtz, Beth Grant, Xosha Roquemore and Fortune Feimster. Drama Chance returns with Season 2 and 10 episodes on Wednesday, October 11. The drama stars Hugh Laurie, Ethan Suplee, Stefania Owen, Greta Lee, Clarke Peters, Brian Goodman and Paul Schneider. Next, I Love You, America premiere with 10 episodes on Thursday, October 12 with Sarah Silverman. From inciting treason to telling poop jokes, Sarah Silverman has created her fair share of online chatter. With I Love You, America, she's looking to connect with people who may not agree with her personal opinions through honesty, humor, genuine interest in others, and not taking herself too seriously. While it's great to connect with like-minded people, Silverman feels it's crucial, now more than ever, to connect with un-like-minded people.

Freakish return with a second season on Wednesday, October 18 with 10 more episodes. Leo Howard, Liza Koshy, Adam Hicks, Tyler Chase, Meghan Rienks and Melvin Gregg will reprise their roles. Brant Daughtery, Ryan McCartan, Saxon Sharbino, Niki DeMartino, Jordan Calloway, Amanda Steele, Tati Gabrielle, Arden Cho, Joy Osmanski, Crawford Collins and Jake Busey join the cast as new characters. The documentary Too Funny to Fail premieres Saturday, October 21 with Dana Carvey, Robert Smigel, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Jon Glaser and Robert Carlock. New series Future Man launches with 13 episodes on Tuesday, November 14 with Josh Hutcherson, Eliza Coupe, Derek Wilson, Haley Joel Osment, Keith David, Glenne Headly and Ed Begley Jr.The series is about Josh Futturman, a janitor by day/gamer by night who is recruited by mysterious visitors to travel through time in order to prevent the extinction of humanity. The highly anticipated Marvel's Runaways premieres with 10 episodes on Tuesday, November 21 with Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin, Allegra Acosta, Annie Wersching, Ryan Sands, Angel Parker, Ever Carradine, James Marsters, Kevin Weisman, Brigid Brannagh, James Yaegashi, Brittany Ishibashi, and Kip Pardue.

East Los High: Finale Event premieres Friday, December 1 with Danielle Vega, Prince Royce, Alexandra Rodriguez and Carlito Olivero. And finally the second season of Shut Eye premieres on Wednesday, December 6 with 10 new episodes starring Jeffrey Donovan, KaDee Strickland, Isabella Rossellini, Susan Misner, Angus Sampson, David Zayas, Dylan Schmidt and Havana Guppy.

Hulu has renewed The Mindy Project for its sixth and final season to premiere September 2017 on Hulu. Season five just completed airing on Hulu on March 28. The Mindy Project first premiered in 2012 and has since aired 107 episodes. In 2013, The Mindy Project was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for New Series. In 2014, Kaling and The Mindy Project earned nominations from the Television Critics Association for Individual Achievement in Comedy and Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. Kaling also earned a Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy and an NAACP Image Award nomination for her performance on the show in 2014. In 2016, the show earned a Gracie Award for Best Ensemble Cast. The series stars Mindy Kaling (Mindy Lahiri), Ed Weeks (Jeremy Reed), Ike Barinholtz (Morgan Tookers), Beth Grant (Beverly), Xosha Roquemore (Tamra Webb) and Fortune Feimster (Colette Kimball-Kinney).


Your favorite suburban couple, the Hammond's, are hungry for more. Netflix has announced a second season of the original comedy Santa Clarita Diet, starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. Production on the second season will begin this summer. Enjoy the tasty announcement video below to hold you over...



Santa Clarita Diet premiered only on Netflix, worldwide, on February 3, 2017. In Santa Clarita Diet, Joel (Timothy Olyphant, Justified) and Sheila (Drew Barrymore, Blended) are husband and wife realtors leading vaguely discontented lives in the L.A. suburb of Santa Clarita with their teenaged daughter Abby (Liv Hewson), until Sheila goes through a dramatic change sending their lives down a road of death and destruction...but in a good way. Santa Clarita Diet stars Drew Barrymore as Sheila Hammond, Timothy Olyphant as Joel Hammond, Liv Hewson as Abby Hammond and Skylar Gisondo as Eric Bemis. The series comes from showrunner Victor Fresco.

The critically-acclaimed comedy series You're the Worst has been renewed for a fourth season on FXX. The comedy from writer and executive producer Stephen Falk, currently ranked among television's leading comedies with a Metacritic score of 85, will return to FXX in 2017. You're the Worst is off to a strong start in Season 3 as its premiere delivered the series' most-watched telecast on FXX. The series is holding strong in Week 3 over its Season 2 average, with Total Viewers up +13% (590,000 vs. 521,000) and Adults 18-49 holding steady (-1%, 387,000 vs. 392,000) on a Live+7 basis.

You're the Worst is a modern look at love and happiness told through the eyes of two people who haven't been very successful with either. It's the story of Gretchen and Jimmy, fear, heartbreak, romance, sex, food, Los Angeles, Sunday Funday, friendship, and the fact that sometimes the worst people make the best partners. You're the Worst received Critics' Choice Television Award nominations for Best Comedy Series in 2015 and 2016, as well as a nomination for Aya Cash (Best Actress in a Comedy Series) and Kether Donohue (Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series) in 2016. An original comedy from writer and executive producer Stephen Falk, You're the Worst puts a dark twist on the romantic comedy genre. Narcissistic, brash, and stubborn Jimmy Shive-Overly (Chris Geere) has inadvertently found himself paired up with cynical, people-pleasing, and self-destructive Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash). Rounding out the cast is Desmin Borges, who plays Edgar Quintero, Jimmy's once homeless war veteran roommate who is struggling to manage his PTSD while forging a post-combat life; and Kether Donohue as Lindsay Jillian, Gretchen's best friend and former partner in crime who's exploring her identity after her loveless marriage was resurrected by a surprise pregnancy.

As we first announced, reruns of The Mindy Project are coming to Freeform, but now NBCUniversal has announced that VH1 will also air reruns! NBCUniversal Television and New Media Distribution announced VH1 and Freeform have acquired the first five seasons of The Mindy Project from Universal Television. The show will begin airing on both networks in October and episodes will also be available on the VH1 and Freeform apps. We gave you the timings for Freeform, but now we will tell you about VH1. The network will begin the series Saturday, Oct. 1 from 2-5:30pm. As of now, the series will air Saturdays only. VH1 also airs My Wife & Kids, The Jamie Foxx Show, Girlfriends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Saved by the Bell and That '70s Show, most during weekdays.

The Mindy Project from Universal Television is a single-camera comedy series created by and starring Emmy(r)-nominated writer/producer and New York Times best-selling author Mindy Kaling, which follows a skilled OB/GYN navigating the tricky waters of both her personal and professional life. The series stars Mindy Kaling, Chris Messina, Ed Weeks, Ike Barinholtz, Adam Pally, Beth Grant, Xosha Roquemore, Fortune Feimster and Zoe Jarman.

Beginning this October, Freeform (formerly ABC Family) will be adding reruns of the comedy The Mindy Project to its late night block from 12-2am. It will air each weeknight beginning October 3 and is replacing the classic Disney series block (a different one airs each weeknight from 12-2am). There will be a special primetime Mindy block on Wednesday, October 12 from 8-11pm as well. Freeform starts its 13 Nights of Halloween on October 19, so The Mindy Project will be temporarily moves to weekdays from 12-1pm (replacing one Gilmore Girls airing). The Mindy Project will go back to its late night block beginning Tuesday, November 1 after a 2 week "Halloween" break. The Mindy Project stars Mindy Kaling, Ed Weeks, Ike Barinholtz, Beth Grant, Xosha Roquemore and Fortune Feimster. The comedy of course is a single-camera comedy series created by and starring Emmy(R)-nominated writer/producer and New York Times best-selling author Mindy Kaling, which follows a skilled OB/GYN navigated the tricky waters of both her personal and professional life.

Sticking with Freeform news, Freeform takes a bold step into late-night with comedian Iliza Shlesinger and greenlights development on a new late-night series. The late-night series will feature Iliza's unique voice that reflects the audience and what's happening in the moment with a fresh comedic spin. Additionally, this past summer, Iliza premiered her scripted web series Forever 31 on ABC's new digital platform (ABCd), and the series has already been ordered for a second season. Her third Netflix special Confirmed Kills premiered on the streaming service on Friday (September 23) and will be followed by her first national theatre tour Iliza: The Confirmed Kills Tour. In spring 2017, Weinstein Books will publish her first book Girl Logic. Stay with us for continued updates should the series get a series order.

Hulu has announced Fall 2016 premiere dates for a returning comedy, a new special and three all-new dramas. First up is the special The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years. That premieres Saturday, September 17 and is directed and produced by Ron Howard. Based on the first part of The Beatles' career (1962-1966), Ron Howard's film will explore how John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr came together to become this extraordinary phenomenon, "The Beatles." Then it is season five of The Mindy Project, streaming weekly beginning Tuesday, October 4 for 16 episodes and starring Mindy Kaling, Ed Weeks, Ike Barinholtz, Beth Grant, Xosha Roquemore and Fortune Feimster. The comedy of course is a single-camera comedy series created by and starring Emmy(R)-nominated writer/producer and New York Times best-selling author Mindy Kaling, which follows a skilled OB/GYN navigated the tricky waters of both her personal and professional life.

Then they announced premieres for 3 new dramas. First up is Chance, streaming weekly beginning Wednesday, October 19 for episodes 10 and starring Hugh Laurie, Gretchen Mol, LisaGay Hamilton, Paul Adelstein, Ethan Suplee and Stefania LaVie Owen. Based on the acclaimed novel by Kem Nunn, Chance is a provocative, psychological thriller that focuses on Dr. Eldon Chance (Laurie), a San Francisco-based forensic neuropsychiatrist who reluctantly gets sucked into a violent and dangerous world of mistaken identity, police corruption and mental illness. Then they announced new drama Freakish, premiering sometime in October for 10 episodes. The series stars Leo Howard, Liza Koshy, Adam Hicks, Aislinn Paul, Meghan Rienks, Melvin Gragg, Tyler Chase, Mary Mouser, Chad L. Coleman with Hayes Grier. During Saturday detention, bells ring signaling a containment drill and evacuation - not out of the ordinary for a town with a large chemical plant. The 20 students and the basketball coach retreat to the school fallout shelter for the duration of the drill. Only it's not a drill...

And the final drama is Shut Eye, which was slated for August 31 but will now premiere on Wednesday, December 7 for 10 episodes. Jeffrey Donovan, KaDee Strickland, Isabella Rossellini, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Susan Misner, Angus Sampson and David Zayas star. Charlie Haverford (Donovan) is a scammer with a small chain of fortune-telling storefronts and contracts building tricks for a family that controls the business in the greater chunk of Los Angeles. A blow to the head from a client's angry boyfriend intersects with a hypnosis session while auditioning a new "clairvoyant," and suddenly, a man whose entire life has been based on fraud begins to see and feel some very real and fundamental truths. Charlie's wife Linda (Strickland) is sick and tired of their mediocre life and wants to break away from Fonso (Sampson), the single father who runs the Marks family's psychic empire and controls the Haverford's future. Rossellini co-stars as Rita, the cunning, seductive and sadistic matriarch of the Marks clan.

Netflix has announced a series premiere date for Haters Back Off. All eight (8) episodes of Haters Back Off will premiere globally on Friday, October 14, 2016 at 12:01am PST exclusively on Netflix. Based on the character created by Colleen Ballinger, Haters Back Off delves into the oddball family life of Miranda Sings, an incredibly confident, totally untalented star on the rise who continues to fail upward by the power of her belief that she was born famous, it's just no one knows it yet. The series stars Colleen Ballinger as Miranda Sings, Steve Little (Eastbound & Down) as Miranda's overly confident and utterly misguided Uncle Jim, Angela Kinsey (The Office) as Miranda's mom, Bethany, and Erik Stocklin, Miranda's neighbor and best friend, Patrick.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we have news of when Hulu will bring back the next season of The Mindy Project, a new deal between Amy Poehler and NBC, and a very surprising upcoming DVD release of a lost sitcom spinoff of the 70s. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• This is perhaps one of the oddest (but very much encouraging) pieces of news that we've seen in the past five years: TVShowsOnDVD.com is reporting that Sony (which has mostly been out of the TV on DVD business for years now) has scheduled a July 26 release of the complete series (one season) of the Sanford & Son spinoff Grady as a MOD release.

TUESDAY (JUNE 28) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place - The Complete Series (DVD, $79.97): One of the most requested sitcoms of the 90s arrives on DVD for the first time in the United States with this release.

Who to Follow: Regina King (Twitter), "CLASSICALLY BEAUTIFUL"

Claim to Fame: Regina King got her start on What's Happening Now!! (where her younger sister, Reina, had a regular role), and quickly came to fame with 227. While many child actresses would have stopped there, that was only the beginning of her fame. After 227 ended, she began to appear in several films. But in the past 10 years, she has returned to her TV roots, where she has managed to stay busy the entire time. In 2005, she began doing the voice of Riley and Huey Freeman on the animated series The Boondocks. In 2009, she began appearing on the series Southland. And currently, she appears in the ABC series American Crime, in which it was announced this week that she will be returning to for the third season.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Pilot season (and the new fall lineups) are literally coming up on us within days, but until then, we've got news of a new Fox series starring (not just produced by) Seth MacFarlane, renewal of a Hulu favorite, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

TUESDAY (MAY 10) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• Newhart - The Complete Fifth Season (DVD, $29.93): Shout! Factory continues this classic Bob Newhart sitcom on DVD.

Who to Follow: Paul Reiser (Twitter), "You know… The guy from the thing with the thing…. Yes you do. Yes you do."

Claim to Fame: With Mad About You - The Complete Series arriving on DVD last week, we featured Helen Hunt, who was one of the stars of the series. This week, we feature the other one, Paul Reiser. Though he came to fame as a standup comedian, his first major sitcom role was in the series My Two Dads. The series was actually somewhat short-lived at only three seasons, but it left a lasting impression. His biggest role, of course, was in Mad About You. After that, he had his own sitcom, The Paul Reiser Show, which was not a hit at all, but currently he is back in action on the Amazon Prime series Red Oaks.

MeTV is proud to welcome actress Dawn Wells aboard as the first ever MeTV Marketing Ambassador. Famous and beloved for her role as Mary Ann on the TV series Gilligan's Island, Ms. Wells now sets sail to represent MeTV on the air and around the country to her many fans and MeTV viewers. More than just a "three hour tour," Dawn Wells will serve as the MeTV Marketing Ambassador for the coming year, bringing her talent, warmth and generous spirit to a variety of MeTV appearances, performances and events. First up, Dawn will be the on-camera network hostess for The Summer of Me, MeTV's annual programming event that brings a splash of summer sizzle to their Memorable Entertainment Television lineup. To celebrate, Gilligan's Island joins the weeknight comedy lineup at 9:30pm ET/PT, beginning Monday, May 30, Memorial Day. Viewers will find Dawn featured in special promotional announcements, tune-in advertisements and clever interstitial elements all around the network. Unlike her TV character Mary Ann, Dawn won't be stranded on a remote island. As MeTV Marketing Ambassador, Dawn will be traveling the country making personal appearances visiting MeTV affiliates and advertisers, and appearing on TV, radio, online and in print, all to help fans of all ages connect with MeTV.

The changes to the MeTV schedule for The Summer of Me starting on Monday, May 30, 2016, Memorial Day are below:

· The Lucy Show replaces I Love Lucy Monday-Friday at 6:30am ET/PT. I Love Lucy remains on Sundays from 4:00- 5:00pm ET/PT.
· Mayberry R.F.D. replaces Gilligan's Island as the cover show on the B-Feed for those stations that can't air The Andy Griffith Show Monday-Friday from 8:00-9:00pm ET/PT.
· Gilligan's Island replaces Laverne & Shirley Monday-Friday at 9:30pm ET/PT, as mentioned above.
· Emergency replaces F Troop on Sundays from 7:00-8:00am ET/PT.

At the Hulu Upfront Presentation at Madison Square Garden Theater, the premium on-demand streaming service announced that its subscriber base has grown over 30% year over year and will reach 12 million subscribers in the U.S. by this month. They unveiled new content deals and ground breaking advertising partnerships with Nielsen and Millward Brown that will deliver more efficient, first-to-market measurement tools for advertisers and marketers. Since its premiere on Hulu in March, The Path has drawn acclaim from critics and fans. Stars Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan and Hugh Dancy took to the stage at Hulu's Upfront presentation today to reveal that Hulu has officially greenlit the series for a second season order. The series follows a family at the center of a controversial cult as they struggle with relationships, faith and power. The finale episode of season one will air May 25 and all past episodes are available to stream on Hulu.

After ordering season four of The Mindy Project, the comedy series from best-selling Author and Creator Mindy Kaling has continued to garner acclaim and captivate fans on Hulu. They have now announced that Hulu has officially picked up the series for a fifth season. The Mindy Project is a single-camera comedy series created by and starring Emmy(R)-nominated writer/producer and New York Times best-selling author Mindy Kaling that follows a skilled OB/GYN navigating choppy waters of both her personal and professional life. In addition, Hulu announced a second election special from Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog that will debut exclusively on the service later this year. Following the success of Triumph's Election Special 2016, Robert Smigel will return as the voice and creator of Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog for a brand new special that will be premiere just in time for the election. Triumph's Election Special, The Mindy Project and The Path join Hulu's growing original programming slate, which includes drama series Shut Eye, Chance and The Handmaid's Tale.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It has been a very active week of news this week, but we've narrowed it down to some of the (many) highlights, including news of new comedy pilots, a Good Times movie (?), and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• TVShowsOnDVD.com has reported that Warner Archive is moving ahead on two medical dramas (including completion of one), with upcoming releases of Medical Center - The Complete Sixth Season and Dr. Kildare - The Complete Fifth Season. No dates have been given yet.

TUESDAY (FEBRUARY 17) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• Fargo - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $39.98; Blu-Ray, $49.99): The hit FX series returns to DVD with this release.

Who to Follow: Bern Nadette Stanis (Twitter)

Claim to Fame: Bern Nadette Stanis is best known for her role as Thelma Evans on the classic sitcom Good Times. In fact, that was her very first role on television or movies, as she managed to find success in her very first role. After Good Times, she went on to guest roles in series such as The Love Boat, What's Happening Now!!, The Cosby Show, and Girlfriends, among others. Recently, she has made news with her crowdfunding effort to produce a Good Times movie, as we mentioned today in our highlights.

TBS's late-night show Conan will welcome the entire cast of the hit comedy The Big Bang Theory on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 11pm (ET/PT). Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch will all join host Conan O'Brien for a special episode celebrating the 200th episode of television's most popular comedy series, which will air the following night on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 8/7c on CBS. TBS, a division of Turner, presents episodes of The Big Bang Theory during primetime five nights a week in syndication.

This will mark the tenth time Conan has featured a full cast from a hit show or movie at one time, further cementing the show's reputation as the leader for such events. Conan has previously featured the casts of Orange Is The New Black, The Walking Dead, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, X-Men: Apocalypse and, most recently, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Conan airs Monday-Thursday at 11 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS.

The Mindy Project is back April 12 with more new episodes! The new episodes of The Mindy Project will be streaming Tuesdays only on Hulu. This will be the second half of episodes for the series' fourth season. This fall 13 episodes aired for the first half, now the remaining 13 from the fourth season will air this spring. Since its network premiere in 2012, The Mindy Project has been a top show on Hulu and has consistently remained popular with Hulu subscribers. Hulu is currently the exclusive streaming home to all past episodes of the series, which were previously acquired in a library deal with NBCUniversal announced in April 2014. In the comedy, a young Ob/Gyn doctor balances her personal and professional life, surrounded by quirky co-workers in a small office. Mindy Kaling, Chris Messina, Ed Weeks, Ike Barinholtz, Beth Grant and Xosha Roquemore star.

Come on, get happy! Forty-five years ago The Partridge Family bus hit the road and Shirley, Reuben and the kids became one of the top-selling recording acts and TV shows of the time. On Saturday, August 15, Antenna TV will celebrate the 45th anniversary of The Partridge Family, with a marathon of 45 memorable episodes. The marathon begins at 5pm ET and will feature 22 1/2 hours of The Partridge Family's most popular episodes. The Partridge Family airs weekly on Antenna TV, Saturdays 5pm ET/2pm PT. Antenna TV, which airs in in 102 TV markets across the U.S. reaching 78% of TV households is available in all of the Top 20 TV U.S. markets.

The Partridge Family 45th Anniversary Marathon Schedule (all times Eastern)

5:00 PM What? And Get Out of Show Business?
5:30 PM Sound of Money
6:00 PM See Here, Private Partridge
6:30 PM But the Memory Lingers On
7:00 PM Did You Hear the One about Danny Partridge?
7:30 PM My Son, the Feminist
8:00 PM Old Scrapmouth
8:30 PM Soul Club 18
9:00 PM They Shoot Managers, Don't They?
9:30 PM Not With My Sister You Don't
10:00 PM Knight in Shining Armor
10:30 PM Dora, Dora, Dora
11:00 PM Man Called Snake
11:30 PM Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Partridge
12:00 AM Day of Acne and Roses
12:30 AM I Can Get it For You Retail
1:00 AM Fellini, Bergman & Partridge
1:30 AM I am Curious, Partridge
2:00 AM Hellllp
2:30 AM Promise Her Anything But Give Her a Punch
3:00 AM Partridge Papers
3:30 AM This Male Chauvinist Piggy Went to Market
4:00 AM M is for Many Things
4:30 AM Each Dawn I Diet
5:00 AM Swiss Family Partridge
5:30 AM Ain't Loveth Grand
6:00 AM Nag, Nag, Nag
6:30 AM For Whom the Bell Tolls and Tolls and Tolls
7:00 AM Left My Heart in Cincinnati
7:30 AM Bedknobs and Drumsticks
8:00 AM Forgive Us Our Debits
8:30 AM Selling of the Partridge
9:00 AM Me and My Shadow
9:30 AM Hate Thy Neighbor
10:00 AM None but the Only
10:30 AM Strike Out King
11:00 AM Double Trouble
11:30 AM Last of Howard
12:00 PM Heartbreak Keith
12:30 PM Day of Honesty
1:00 PM Queen for a Minute
1:30 PM Danny Converts
2:00 PM Miss Partridge, Teacher
2:30 PM Keith and Lauribelle
3:00 PM "…-…" (S.O.S.)

The Mindy Project's fourth season is moving to Hulu and we have a season premiere date! It will be streaming weekly beginning Wednesday, September 15 every Wednesday on Hulu. The fourth season stars Mindy Kaling, Chris Messina, Ed Weeks, Ike Barinholtz, Beth Grant and Xosha Roquemore. The first three seasons aired on Fox in primetime, but the ratings were not strong enough to continue, instead Hulu announced it would pick the series up last May for a fourth season with 26 all-new episodes. The series is Executive Produced by Mindy Kaling, Howard Klein, Matt Warburton, and Charlie Grandy. The Mindy Project is a single-camera comedy series created by and starring Emmy(R)-nominated writer/producer and New York Times best-selling author Mindy Kaling that follows a skilled OB/GYN navigating the tricky waters of both her personal and professional life. Hulu will have the option to order subsequent seasons.

The Summer of Me starts on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. And this year is even more memorable as MeTV welcomes actress Dawn Wells, Mary Ann of Gilligan's Island, who will be making special appearances all summer long! The Summer of Me sets sail weeknights at 6PM|5C with the castaway comedy of Gilligan's Island, followed at 6:30PM|5:30C by the ragtag crew of Hogan's Heroes. From 9PM to 11PM, the comedy continues with The Summer of CoMEdies! This two-hour block features four episodes of a different show each weeknight. Mondays, Zack and the gang find new adventures as roommates at California University in Saved by the Bell: The College Years. Milwaukee's best comes at you Tuesdays and Wednesdays with Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley, respectively. The Sweathogs are in class Thursdays with Welcome Back, Kotter, and Fridays are more fun with America's favorite family, The Brady Bunch. And one note, every Wednesday night starting at 9PM, The Summer of Me's Laverne & Shirley episodes feature hand-picked favorites curated by series' stars Penny Marshall (Laverne De Fazio), Cindy Williams (Shirley Feeney) and Eddie Mekka (Carmine Ragusa)!

With all the new additions to the Summer of Me schedule, some programs are going on a well-deserved summer vacation. Say goodbye--for now--to The Twilight Zone, CHiPs, The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, Cheers and The Odd Couple. View the Summer of Me schedule to see the entire line-up!

Hulu announced that it has ordered season four - 26 new episodes - of the critically acclaimed series The Mindy Project. The series will join Hulu's Original Programming slate in a new agreement with Universal Television, as Fox will not be airing the series anymore. Hulu subscribers will also be able to stream past and future episodes of The Mindy Project exclusively on Hulu. Since its network premiere in 2012, The Mindy Project has been a top show on Hulu and has consistently remained popular with Hulu subscribers. Hulu is currently the exclusive streaming home to all past episodes of the series, which were previously acquired in a library deal with NBCUniversal announced in April 2014. A premiere date for season four of The Mindy Project will be announced at a later time. Following the premiere, Hulu will have the option to order subsequent seasons.

The Mindy Project is a single-camera comedy series created by and starring Emmy(R)-nominated writer/producer and New York Times best-selling author Mindy Kaling that follows a skilled OB/GYN navigating the tricky waters of both her personal and professional life. The series also stars Chris Messina, Ed Weeks, Ike Barinholtz, Beth Grant and Xosha Roquemore. The comedy series will join Hulu's growing slate of premium original programming including event series 11/22/63 from Stephen King and J.J. Abrams starring James Franco; comedy series Difficult People produced by Amy Poehler with stars Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner; Casual, a comedy series from Oscar(R)-nominated Director Jason Reitman; The Way, a drama series from Universal Television and Jason Katims' True Jack Productions; and the first longform project from Freddie Wong and the RocketJump team.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we know exactly what every network will be doing in the fall, we have an update on The Mindy Project, and we also have an update on the revival of Twin Peaks. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• It looks as if StarVista is officially moving ahead with their Carol Burnett DVDs with a new release featuring the best of the first five seasons, though no exact details of the size of the release are known just yet.

Who to Follow: Greg Poehler (Twitter), "I mostly like things and stuff"

Claim to Fame: The younger brother of Amy Poehler actually didn't intend to become an actor at all. In fact, he went to college right after high school, then went on to law school, and became a reasonably successful attorney, licensed to practice in New York, Massachusetts, and even at the federal level. It was in 2006 that he moved to Sweden with his Swedish girlfriend, and by 2012, he started to dabble in stand-up comedy. After writing a script about a series based on his own life story, he ended up as a creator and star on an international series almost immediately (thanks in large part to his sister), Welcome to Sweden, which aired last summer on NBC, and will return on July 19 for a second season.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Early May is always the busiest time of the year for news as we learn which shows will be coming, going, and which ones will be abandoned before they could even be picked up, and this week is no exception! We have just a small taste of some of the bigger announcements here today (stay with us next week for full details as the networks finalize everything). Additionally, we have some major DVD news coming out of one studio that will bring nearly a dozen (if not more) abandoned or never released series, mostly from the CBS library, to DVD. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• VEI announced a huge slate of DVDs this week, including (but not limited to) Angie, Cannon, Grace Under Fire, Hotel, The Parkers, and Petrocelli. They are saying that these will be coming later this year, although we anticipate there could be some delays in releasing this huge slate.
• Shout! Factory is moving ahead with their releases of the All in the Family spinoffs, with Maude - The Complete Second Season and The Jeffersons - The Complete Eighth Season on August 11.

Who to Follow: Chris D'Elia (Twitter), "The ONLY official twitter account for the movie Best Man Holiday starring Taye Diggs."

Claim to Fame: With the somewhat unusual renewal for NBC's Undateable, we're featuring the star of that series as our Follow Me this week. He plays the starring role of Danny Burton in that series which just got a third season (unusual for an NBC sitcom, also unusual since even executive producer Bill Lawrence didn't expect the series to really last) of all live episodes. This isn't D'Elia's first sitcom on NBC in recent years, though, as he was previously on the series Whitney. One of his first roles was as a teenager in the series Chicago Hope, and he has also appeared in Monk, Boston Legal, and Jennifer Falls.

CBS announced season finale airdates that will include two-hour finales for Hawaii Five-0 and CSI: Cyber, a one-hour finale for new comedy, The Odd Couple, and a two-hour finale for Survivor, followed by the reunion special. In addition, new drama Stalker returns to the schedule on Monday, May 4 at 9 on a new night and time for its final three episodes. The CBS finales will be spread out between April 20 and May 24.

The following are the full season finale airdates for CBS series:

Monday, April 20
9:00-10:00 PM Scorpion

Thursday, April 30
9:30-10:00 PM Mom

Friday, May 1
10:00-11:00 PM Blue Bloods

Sunday, May 3
8:00-9:00 PM Madam Secretary

Tuesday, May 5
10:00-11:00 PM Person of Interest

Wednesday, May 6
9:00-10:00 PM Criminal Minds

Thursday, May 7
8:00-8:30 PM The Big Bang Theory

Friday, May 8
9:00-11:00 PM Hawaii Five-0 (2-Hour Season Finale)

Sunday, May 10
9:00-10:00 PM The Good Wife

Tuesday, May 12
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: New Orelans

Wednesday, May 13
9:00-11:00 PM CSI: Cyber (2-Hour Season Finale)

Thursday, May 14
8:30-9:30 PM The Odd Couple (1-Hour Season Finale)
10:00-11:00 PM Elementary

Friday, May 15
8:00-9:00 PM The Amazing Race

Monday, May 18
8:00-8:30 PM 2 Broke Girls
8:30-9:00 PM Mike & Molly
9:00-10:00 PM Stalker
10:00-11:00 PM NCIS: Los Angeles

Wednesday, May 20
8:00-10:00 PM Survivor (2-Hour Season Finale)
10:00-11:00 PM Survivor Reunion Special

Sunday, May 24
10:00-11:00 PM Battle Creek

SundanceTV announced that its newest non-fiction series Behind the Story with the Paley Center will premiere on Tuesday, April 7 at 8 PM ET/PT. The six-episode series will feature in-depth discussions with the stars, writers and producers of the biggest shows on TV today, including Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men). Composed of footage from The Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest 2013 and PaleyFest 2014 television festivals, the series will allow viewers the chance to relive their favorite TV moments through personal stories by the cast members and creative teams. Participants will reveal the behind-the-scenes details of the processes that brought to life some of the most beloved series currently on the air.

Season One of Behind the Story with the Paley Center will premiere as follows:
Tuesday, 4/7: Parks & Recreation: Behind the Story with the Paley Center
Tuesday 4/14: The Mindy Project: Behind the Story with the Paley Center
Tuesday 5/12: Mad Men: Behind the Story with the Paley Center
Tuesday 5/19: The Big Bang Theory: Behind the Story with the Paley Center
Tuesday 6/16: Orange is the New Black: Behind the Story with the Paley Center
Tuesday 6/23: Masters of Sex: Behind the Story with the Paley Center