SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Katz Networks, part of The E.W. Scripps Company, announced three major off-network series licensing agreements. Escape, the over-the-air network reaching women 25-54 with a brand of programming anchored in stories of crime and mystery, has acquired the television rights to Law & Order and Boston Legal in two individual deals. Escape lands the first 12 seasons of Law & Order - the longest-running crime and investigation drama on American primetime television – in a multi-year licensing agreement with Universal Television. The complete series/five seasons of Boston Legal come from Twentieth Television, Inc. Laff, television's fastest-growing network and the nation's first over-the-air network devoted to comedy around-the-clock, has landed the broadcast television rights to all eight seasons of According to Jim, starring Jim Belushi, in an agreement with Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International.

Escape will launch both series on New Year's Day. They join another hit off-network crime drama, Without a Trace, in the Escape line-up. Laff will debut According to Jim in early 2019. These agreements come on the heels of Katz sister network Bounce landing broadcast rights to the iconic series Scandal which just joined Bounce's primetime line-up. According to Jim joins Laff's sitcom hall-of-fame line-up which includes Home Improvement, 3rd Rock from the Sun, That '70s Show, The Drew Carey Show, Night Court, Spin City and more.

YEE-HAW! Co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Elisha Cuthbert just ran 13 stories to tell you when The Ranch is back! What gets Ashton Kutcher up in the morning? Coors or Keystone? How does he feel about Tom Brady? And when can fans expect new episodes of The Ranch?! Running up 13 stories at Netflix, Elisha Cuthbert gets the inside scoop from co-star Ashton Kutcher - the two triumphantly reach the top, marking their victory by shouting from the [Netflix] rooftop, 10 all-new episodes of The Ranch premiere December 7 on Netflix! Set in present day on a Colorado ranch outside Denver, this multi-camera family comedy returns with new episodes (Part 6, 10 new episodes for the back-half of season three) on December 7. Starring Ashton Kutcher, Sam Elliott, Elisha Cuthbert, Debra Winger and new guest star, Dax Shepard - the show follows Colt's (Kutcher) return home after a brief and failed semi-pro football career to run the family ranching business with his father Beau (Elliott). The sitcom has already been renewed for a 4th season of 20 episodes, so look out for Parts 7 and 8 in 2019!

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Halloween is past us, so that means we're officially into sweeps month (which may not be quite the huge deal it used to be in the streaming media era, but it hasn't been totally diminished) and before you know it, we'll be talking about Christmas programming and marathons. In fact, Hallmark Channel is already there! Today, we've got news about the renewal of a Netflix series, more Step by Step on DVD (side note: DVD releases have slowed down so much this year that this appears to be the only older sitcom that will be released on DVD for all of November and December, months that used to be very busy), and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Roseanne is stealing the spotlight again this week, as it looks like a spinoff of the series may actually be close to becoming a reality. We're also hearing some rumblings about daytime television, including a temporary (and potentially permanent) production halt to a long-time staple of daytime trash talk shows. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing casting news about The Ranch and the Murphy Brown revival. We're also hearing that the One Day at a Time reboot on Netflix may be on the verge of cancellation. And of course, there are always reboots and revivals in the work, and we're hearing of yet another new one this week. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we have more TV related series fallout from the sexual harassment scandals, we're hearing that the Disney and Fox merger may be closer to reality than we think, and we're hearing of some new releases from Shout! Factory. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Who to Follow: Liza Snyder (Twitter, Instagram), "Plays Andi Burns on Man With A Plan."

Claim to Fame: Liza Snyder has been appearing on TV series for over two decades, beginning with a role on the mostly forgotten series Sirens. From there, she went on to be part of the cast of the NBC series Jesse. Her first starring role in a truly successful series came in the series Yes, Dear, and now she is starring in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan.
Pick of the Instagram Posts: "Mary Tyler Moore. A legend. An icon. She paved the way for all women on TV. RIP. You will be missed. Sending love to her family and friends. 😔💔" (pic) (January 25, 2017)

Break out the good beer! Netflix announced the premiere date for The Ranch: Part 3, with first look photos from the 10-episode season debuting June 16th, only on Netflix. Set in present day on a Colorado ranch, this multi-camera family comedy features returning stars: Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Sam Elliott and Debra Winger. The show follows Colt's (Kutcher) return home after a brief and failed semi- pro football career to run the family ranching business with his older brother Jameson "Rooster" (Masterson) and father Beau (Elliott), whom he hasn't seen in 15 years. Winger stars as Colt's and Jimmy's mother, Maggie, who runs the local town bar. The series also features Elisha Cuthbert (Abby), and fellow That 70's Show alum Wilmer Valderrama (Umberto).

The Ranch: Part 3 picks up where we left off in winter of last year: Colt is forced to face the new reality of his complicated love triangle with Abby and Heather; Rooster settles into relationship life with Mary after bitterly moving off the ranch; and Maggie and Beau navigate life as divorced friends. Parts 1 and 2 of the series debuted last year on Netflix (10 episodes each). The Ranch is written and executive produced by Jim Patterson and Don Reo (Two and a Half Men).




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 April 3-7, 2017, 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!


Monday, April 3, 2017

• Amanda Peet (Togetherness/Bent) - Watch Amanda on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Jason Sudeikis (Son of Zorn/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Jason stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jennifer Esposito (Samantha Who?/Spin City) - Jennifer appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Jake Johnson (New Girl) - Jake visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Lamorne Morris (New Girl) - Lamorne drops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) - Margaret is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kate Walsh (Bad Judge/The Drew Carey Show) - Kate appears on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am, on LIVE! with Kelly (check your listings) and Harry (check your local listings).
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones - Sarah whips up a recipe from the book Stirring Up Fun with Food on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am, the AOL Build Show at 4pm and Tasting Table on Facebook Live..
• Mckenna Grace (Crash & Bernstein) - Mckenna is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Craig Ferguson (The Drew Carey Show) - Craig appears on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Dave Coulier (Fuller House/Full House) - Dave guest hosts Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Thomas Barbusca (The Mick) - Thomas is a guest on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Alec talks about his new book Nevertheless: A Memoir on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Sara Gilbert (Bad Teacher/The Big Bang Theory/Roseanne) - Sara is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Scott Foley (The Goodwin Games/A.U.S.A.) - Scott appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Jodie Sweetin (Hollywood Darlings/Fuller House/Full House), Beverley Mitchell (Hollywood Darlings) and Christine Lakin (Hollywood Darlings/Step by Step) - Jodie, Beverly and Christine talk about Hollywood Darlings on NBC's Today in the 9am hour and the AOL Build Show at 5pm.
• Christine Baranski (Cybill/Welcome to New York/Happy Family) - Christine is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

• Jenny Slate (Married/Parks and Recreation) - Catch Jenny on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Louis C.K. (Louie/Lucky Louie) - Louis stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Christine Baranski (Cybill/Welcome to New York/Happy Family) - Christine is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) - Jack appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea visits Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm.
• Rob Riggle (Golan the Insatiable) - Rob is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Chris appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Tom Papa (Come to Papa) - Tom is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo. She also talks about her new cookbook on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Sally Field (Gidget/The Flying Nun) - Sally speaks about the new Broadway revival of The Glass Menagerie on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Office) - Ellie chats about the animated film Smurfs: The Lost Village on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Eric is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Yvette Nicole Brown (The Odd Couple/Community) - Yvette dishes about the new season of SuperMansion on Crackle on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 2am on BET or on your local stations.
• Sanaa Lathan (Family Guy/The Cleveland Show/LateLine) - Sanaa stops by Harry, so check your local listings.
• Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/One Day at a Time) - Valerie is a guest on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) and Stephen Schneider (Imaginary Mary) - Jenna and Stephen are guests on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT. Jenna will also be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Mckenna Grace (Crash & Bernstein) - McKenna talks about her movie Gifted on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Jake Johnson (New Girl) - Jake is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• John O'Hurley (Seinfeld/The Mullets) - John appears on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Jason Alexander (Seinfeld/Bob Patterson/Listen Up) - Jason is a guest on a repeat of Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• David Schwimmer (Friends) - David will be on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken appears on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Jodie Sweetin (Hollywood Darlings/Fuller House/Full House), Beverley Mitchell (Hollywood Darlings) and Christine Lakin (Hollywood Darlings/Step by Step) - Jodie, Beverly and Christine talk about Hollywood Darlings on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York sometime between 7-10am. They will also be on Cheddar sometime between 12-2pm.
• Sherri Shepherd (Trial and Error/Less Than Perect/Sherri) - Sherri is a guest on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Bailee Madison (Trophy Wife) - Bailee dishes on the Hallmark series, Good Witch, and her upcoming movie, A Cowgirl's Story on the AOL Build Show at 1pm.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

• Lena Dunham (Friends) - Watch Lena on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Eric is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Zosia Mamet (Girls) - Zosia visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca/Parks and Recreation/The Office) - Rashida appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She will also be on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am.
• Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andrew is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi stops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS. She will also be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Charlie Hunnam (Undeclared) - Charlie visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) and Stephen Schneider (Imaginary Mary) - Jenna and Stephen are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Ana Gasteyer, Ken Hall, Alice Wetterlund, Luka Jones, Bjorn Gustafsson, Michael Cassidy, Oscar Nunez, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Huskey and Nancy Lenehan - The cast of People of Earth are guests on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Helen Hunt (Mad About You/It Takes Two) - Helen chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Amanda Peet (Togetherness/Bent) and Hank Azaria (The Simpsons/Free Agents) - Amanda and Hank talk about the series Brockmire on ABC's Good Morning America, LIVE! with Kelly (check your listings) and the AOL Build Show 1pm.
• Hannah Simone (New Girl) - Hannah is a guest on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Andrée Vermeulen (Angie Tribeca) - Andrée visits Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House/Full House) - Candace appears on a repeat of Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea talks about Netflix's Chelsea on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Heather Dubrow (Stark Raving Mad) - Heather guest co-hosts a repeat of The Doctors, so check your local listings.
• Yara Shahidi (black-ish) - Yara talks about black-ish on the AOL Build Show at 2:30pm.
• H. Jon Benjamin (Bob's Burgers) - H. Jon talks about Archer on the AOL Build Show at 4:15pm.
• Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

• Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Catch Drew on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Reid Scott (Veep/My Boys) - Reid is a guest on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Billy Eichner (Difficult People) - Billy appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Amanda Peet (Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda visits Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Helen Hunt (Mad About You/It Takes Two) - Helen stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Jason Sudeikis (Son of Zorn/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Jason is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Kevin James (Kevin Can Wait/The King of Queens) - Kevin appears on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Zach Woods (Silicon Valley/The Office) - Zach will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) - Lea is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) - Danica appears on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Rhea Seehorn (Whitney/I'm with Her) - Rhea and the cast of Better Call Saul will be on the AOL Build Show at 1pm.
• Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jaime Pressly (Mom/Jennifer Falls/My Name Is Earl) - Jaime guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jodie Sweetin (Hollywood Darlings/Fuller House/Full House), Beverley Mitchell (Hollywood Darlings) and Christine Lakin (Hollywood Darlings/Step by Step) - Jodie, Beverly and Christine talk about Hollywood Darlings on Entertainment Tonight, E! News and PopSugar.

Friday, April 7, 2017

• Zosia Mamet (Girls) - Watch Zosia on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jerrod Carmichael (The Carmichael Show) - Jerrod visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jenny Slate (Married/Parks and Recreation) - Jenny is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jermaine Fowler (Superior Donuts) - Jermaine appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Natalie Zea (The Detour) - Natalie is a guest on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca/Parks and Recreation/The Office) - Rashida visits LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Jill Kargman (Odd Mom Out) - Jill appears on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah shares a recipe from her new cookbook on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings. She will also be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT and Hollywood Talk Live.
• Rhea Seehorn (Whitney/I'm with Her) - Rhea is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach discusses his movie Going in Style on People Now at 8:30am.
• Vanessa Hudgens (Powerless) - Vanessa appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen/The Ellen Show) - Ellen talks about NBC's First Dates on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Tia Mowry (Instant Mom/The Game/Sister, Sister) - Tia is a guest on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Matthew Perry (The Odd Couple/Go On/Mr. Sunshine/Friends) - Matthew appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Wendi McClendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement/Reno 911!) - Wendi guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
li>Jodie Sweetin (Hollywood Darlings/Fuller House/Full House), Beverley Mitchell (Hollywood Darlings) and Christine Lakin (Hollywood Darlings/Step by Step) - Jodie, Beverly and Christine talk about Hollywood Darlings on a satellite tour.

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!

Tyler Perry's sitcom Meet the Browns is now on BET in reruns. The sitcom starts today with a marathon from 8am-2am, so it's non-stop laughs to start off October. The series will air weekdays from 11am-12pm and 7-8pm. There will be other airings, sometimes a prime stack once a week or even some weekend play in stacks. The series will follow Tyler Perry's other sitcom House of Payne. BET also airs Martin and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. BET also from time to time brings out Eve, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Game and In the House, but most of these air on sister network Centric. As for Meet the Browns, the series revolves around a senior family living under one roof in Decatur, Georgia led by patriarch Mr. Brown and his daughter Cora Simmons. David Mann and Tamela Mann star and the series aired from 2009-2011, but had a bulk episode order, totaling 140 episodes.

Howdy. The Ranch Part 2 returns with ten new episodes Friday, October 7, everywhere where Netflix is available. The Ranch stars Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Sam Elliot, Debra Winger and more. The Ranch is executive produced by Don Reo (Two and Half Men, My Wife and Kids) and Jim Patterson (Two and a Half Men, Mike and Molly). Kutcher and Masterson also serve as executive producers. As mentioned, The Ranch Part 2 Launches on Netflix Friday, Oct. 7 to conclude its first season 20 episode order.

Life on The Ranch is never easy and things get even more complicated in part two of season one. It seems like ex-football star Colt Bennett (Kutcher) has finally accepted his place on the family ranch, but he and his brother Rooster (Masterson) will have to prove themselves to their father Beau (Elliot) if they ever hope to become partners. Maggie (Winger) has hopes of her own and they may no longer involve her on-again/off-again husband and after finally saving his ranch, Beau might be losing his family. And if life weren't complicated enough, when Colt's high school sweetheart Abby (Elisha Cuthbert) expresses doubts about her fiancé, Colt must choose between his current girlfriend and his first love. Dysfunctional doesn't even cover this family.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we have a look at some prospects for some of the pilots for next season and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

TUESDAY (MAY 3) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• Airwolf - The Complete Series (DVD, $44.98; Blu-ray, $99.98): The CBS (and later USA Network) series comes to DVD again from Mill Creek, and arrives on Blu-ray for the very first time. Also available: season 1.
• Knight Rider - Season 1 (DVD, $14.98): Mill Creek brings the classic David Hasselhoff series back to DVD in this value priced released. Also available: season 2.
• Mad About You - The Complete Series (DVD, $69.98): Mill Creek brings the entire series to DVD, which features some seasons never before released on DVD.
• Miami Vice - Season 1 (DVD, $14.98) Mill Creek also brings this classic series back to DVD, still complete with all of the original music but at a much lower price. Also available: season 2.

Who to Follow: Helen Hunt (Twitter)

Claim to Fame: With Mad About You - The Complete Series arriving on DVD next week, we are featuring one of the two stars from that series as our Follow Me. Helen Hunt got her start when she was just ten years old, and landed her first TV role in Amy Prentiss, a very short-lived series that was part of the NBC Mystery Movie franchise and a spinoff of Ironside. She played the daughter of the title character in that series. A little over a year later, she landed a role in the ABC series The Swiss Family Robinson. She had several guest starring roles on many series throughout the years after that and also developed a much larger film presence (which she does much more of today), but her biggest TV role came in 1992 with the series Mad About You. You can also find her directing some of the sitcoms airing today, including most recently, Life in Pieces.