SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Fox's Stewie Announces Voice Cast; Clash of the Thundermans Premiere Date and Details, with Ariel Winter Joining the Cast

Fox has announced the voices of the Family Guy spin-off series Stewie, coming in 2027-28. Kenan Thompson (Royal), Vanessa Bayer (Morgan), Mike Henry (BJ), Jessica Lowe (Caroline), Melissa O'Neil (Wanda), and Aaron Lee (Skunk) join Seth MacFarlane (who also voices Bean).

In Stewie, the world's most beloved talking baby steps into the spotlight with the latest Family Guy spinoff from creator Seth MacFarlane. After getting the boot from his old preschool, Stewie is forced to enroll in a new one that's not exactly top-of-the-line. It's attended by a handful of kids he doesn't know, and a 75-year-old class turtle with a half-cocked theory on just about every subject. Stewie's miserable, the other kids are miserable, and even the turtle is miserable... until Stewie begins rolling out his trusty array of devices to take them anywhere in space and time, turning every boring day at school into an insane and surreal adventure. MacFarlane voices Stewie and will executive-produce for Fuzzy Door.

Hold onto your capes! At San Diego for Comic-Con(R) International, Paramount+ revealed the premiere date and key art for Clash of the Thundermans. The new feature-length film from Paramount Television Studios will premiere Thursday, September 3 on Paramount+ and debut on Nickelodeon at 7 p.m. (ET/PT) that same day.

Based on the hit Nickelodeon live-action superhero comedy series The Thundermans, Clash of the Thundermans follows youngest sibling Chloe as she develops a new and unpredictable superpower, causing the Hero League to demand they send her away to a superhero boarding school to learn to control it. Faced with the prospect of sending Chloe away for years, the Thunderman family is split down the middle, with Max, Hank and Nora wanting to hand her over for her own safety, and Phoebe, Barb and Billy willing to ignore orders to keep her with her family.

Modern Family's Ariel Winter (Cognita) joins returning cast members Kira Kosarin (Phoebe), Jack Griffo (Max), Maya Le Clark (Chloe), Diego Velazquez (Billy), Addison Riecke (Nora), Chris Tallman (Hank) and Rosa Blasi (Barb). Dana Snyder (Dr. Colosso), Daniele Gaither, (President Kickbutt) and Robyn Bradley (Mee-Maw) also star.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Fox, Modern Family, Paramount+, San Diego Comic Con, Stewie, The Thundermans

The Thundermans Gets Spinoff Series; Remembering Dabney Coleman

Building on the success of The Thundermans Return, which premiered ranking as cable's #1 entertainment telecast of the year with kids, Nickelodeon Studios announced a spinoff based on characters from the hit live-action superhero comedy. The spinoff series will follow Phoebe and Max, who are sent undercover to handle a new threat in the seaside town of Secret Shores and bring Chloe along to develop her superhero talent. Production on the show will begin in Vancouver in August, with premiere details to be announced at a later date. In the brand-new series, Chloe forms a bond with two classmates while they investigate suspicious activity coming from the local school, who don't realize their new friend has secret powers. As the danger increases, the Thunderman trio must stay in town indefinitely, leaving the squabbling twins in charge of raising their younger sister.

The spinoff show will star original series cast members Kira Kosarin as "Phoebe," Jack Griffo as "Max," and Maya Le Clark as "Chloe." The show will also feature guest appearances from additional original series cast members. The Thundermans Return premiered on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ earlier this year. The feature-length movie, based on the hit live-action superhero comedy series, The Thundermans, follows the superpowered family as they attempt to live a normal life while using their superhuman abilities to stop crime. The Thundermans premiered on Nickelodeon in October 2013 and wrapped its four-season run in 2018. The scripted half-hour series follows superhero twins with opposite personalities, Phoebe and Max Thunderman, as they navigate their way through school, friends and a family of extraordinary superheroes, all while keeping their true identities a secret.

Emmy-winning actor Dabney Coleman, who starred as Bill Bittinger in Buffalo Bill and as Slap Maxwell in The Slap Maxwell Story, has died. He died at his home in Santa Monica, California, on May 16 of cardiac arrest due to dysphagia and heart failure. Mr. Coleman was 92.

Coleman had a recurring role as Dr. Leon Bessemer, a neighbor of Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas) and an obstetrician, in eight episodes of the first season (1966-1967) of the ABC sitcom That Girl. He is the husband of Judy Bessemer (Bonnie Scott), the first person Ann meets as she moves into her new apartment.

He appeared as Merle Jeeter in 148 episodes of the 1976-1977 syndicated satirical soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Merle Jeeter is Fernwood's slightly devious mayor and Jimmy Joe's (Sparky Marcus) father. He played Merle Jeeter in two episodes of Fernwood 2 Night in 1977. He appeared as Merle Jeeter in 130 episodes of Forever Fernwood from 1977-1978.

Coleman starred as "Fast Eddie" Murtaugh, a con man husband, in the short-lived 1978 ABC sitcom Apple Pie, which aired for only two episodes. Rue McClanahan starred as Ginger-Nell Hollyhock, a single and lonely hairdresser who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, during the Great Depression year of 1933. The series also starred Jack Gilford, Caitlin O'Heaney and Derrel Maury.

He starred as Bill Bittinger in the 1983-1984 NBC sitcom Buffalo Bill. The series featured the misadventures of egotistical talk show host Bill Bittinger and his staff at WBFL-TV, a small TV station in Buffalo, New York. Coleman received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the role in 1983 and 1984. The cast included Joanna Cassidy, Max Wright, John Fielder, Geena Davis, Charles Robinson, Meshach Taylor and Claude Earl Jones.

Coleman starred as Slap Maxwell in the 1987-1988 ABC sitcom The Slap Maxwell Story. "Slap" Maxwell is an egocentric sportswriter for a newspaper called The Ledger, somewhere in the American Southwest. The title character's nickname comes from the fact that someone else always ends up hitting him in every episode. Coleman won a Golden Globe Award in 1987 for Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The series also starred Megan Gallagher, Susan Anspach, Brian Smiar, Bill Cobbs and Bill Calvert.

He starred as Otis Drexell in the 1991-1992 Fox sitcom Drexell's Class. Otis Drexell is a fifth-grade teacher at fictional Grantwood Elementary School in Cedar Bluffs, Iowa. The cast included Randy Graff, Dakin Matthews, Jason Biggs, Heidi Zeigler, Damian Cagnolatti, Matthew Lawrence, A. J. Langer, Brittany Murphy, Edie McClurg, Cleavant Derricks, Phil Buckman, Jacqueline Donnelly and Matthew Slowik.

Coleman starred as Jack "Madman" Buckner in the 1994-1995 NBC sitcom Madman of the People. Jack "Madman" Buckner is an outspoken newspaper columnist who had written a popular column, Madman of the People, in Your Times magazine for 30 years. The series also starred Concetta Tomei, Cynthia Gibb, John Ales, Craig Bierko and Amy Aquino.

He starred as Bill Rose in the short-lived 2006 CBS sitcom Courting Alex. Jenna Elfman portrays Alex Rose, a successful, single attorney who works with her father Bill at his law firm. The series also starred Hugh Bonneville, Josh Randall, Josh Stamberg and Jillian Bach.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Hazel, The Donna Reed Show, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, I Dream of Jeannie (2 episodes), The Flying Nun, Nanny and the Professor, Room 222, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat, Diff'rent Strokes (2 episodes) and It's Garry Shandling's Show (2 episodes).

He starred as Tyler Cane in the 1986 CBS miniseries Fresno. In 1987, he received an Emmy Award for his role as Martin Costigan in the television film Sworn to Silence. He starred as Burton Fallin in the 2001-2004 CBS legal drama The Guardian. He starred as Commodore Louis Kaestner in seasons 1-2 of Boardwalk Empire. His final role was in 2019 as John Dutton Jr., John Dutton III's (Kevin Costner) dying father, on Yellowstone.

Coleman provided the voice of Principal Peter Prickly on the 1997-2001 animated series Recess and the 2001 animated film Recess: School's Out. Some of his other voice credits included Jumanji (2 episodes) and Pound Puppies (4 episodes).

He starred as Franklin Hart, Jr. in 9 to 5 (1980). He played Ron Carlisle in Tootsie (1982). Some of his other film credits included On Golden Pond (1981), WarGames (1983), Cloak & Dagger (1984), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), Short Time (1990), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), You've Got Mail (1998), Inspector Gadget (1999), Moonlight Mile (2002) and Rules Don't Apply (2016).

Mr. Coleman was a talented and versatile actor. He did a great job playing jerks and unlikable characters. He seemed like a very nice guy offscreen in interviews. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us in his career. He will be greatly missed.

We also remember playwright, screenwriter, television producer and actor Samm-Art Williams. He worked as a writer and producer on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin and Good News. He died on May 13 in Burgaw, North Carolina. Mr. Williams was 78.

Williams was a co-producer and writer/story editor for four episodes of Frank's Place in 1987 and 1988. He worked as a producer on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1993. Some of his other sitcom producing credits included Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Martin and Good News.

His other sitcom writing credits included The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (9 episodes), Martin (5 episodes) and Good News (2 episodes).

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included 227, Frank's Place, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. He played Meurice in Blood Simple (1984).

He was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his play Home (1979), which moved from the Negro Ensemble Company to a Broadway production in 1980.

Mr. Williams was a 6' 8" lefty who was once a sparring partner of boxer Muhammad Ali. We thank him for his work as a writer, producer and actor on sitcoms. He will be greatly missed.

Emmy-winning writer, producer and consultant Bob Ellison worked on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Wings and Becker. He died at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on April 8. Mr. Ellison was 91.

Ellison worked as an executive story editor for 48 episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1975 to 1977. He shared an Emmy Award in 1977 for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. In 1971, he won his first Emmy Award with Marty Farrell for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music for his work on Singer Presents Burt Bacharach.

He worked as an executive or creative consultant on Angie, Amen, Bob, Pearl, Wings, Caroline in the City, The Trouble with Normal, Kristin, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, In-Laws, Becker and It's All Relative.

Some of his sitcom producing credits included The Betty White Show, Rhoda, Angie, Dear John and Thanks. He developed Dear John with Peter Noah.

Mr. Ellison was known as an expert joke fixer. We thank him for his work The Mary Tyler Moore Show and many other sitcoms. He will be sorely missed.

Pro Football Hall of Famer and actor O.J. Simpson starred as T.D. Parker in the HBO sitcom 1st & Ten. He died of prostate cancer on April 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Simpson was 76.

Simpson played college football for the USC Trojans, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior in 1968, and was selected first overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 1969 NFL/AFL draft. During his nine seasons with the Bills, he received five consecutive Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections from 1972 to 1976. He also led the league in rushing yards four times, in rushing touchdowns twice, and in points scored in 1975. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility.

He began acting while at USC in 1968 and appeared on Dragnet in an uncredited role as a potential recruit to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He appeared as Bru Riley in the first episode of Medical Center in 1969. Some of his other early television appearances included It Takes a Thief, Ironside, The Name of the Game, Cade's County and Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law. He played Kadi Touray in the 1977 ABC miniseries Roots.

Simpson appeared as himself in a 1973 Here's Lucy episode. In "The Big Game," he gives Lucy and Harry 50-yard-line stadium tickets to a big football game.

He starred as T.D. Parker in the HBO sitcom 1st & Ten, which aired from 1984 to 1991. He joined the cast in the second season. T.D. Parker is a veteran running back who is forced to make the transition from player to coach. The cast included Delta Burke (seasons 1-3), Cliff Frazier, Prince Hughes, Donald Gibb, Reid Shelton, John Kassir, Tony Longo, Michael Toland, Rick Moser, Shannon Tweed, Paul Tuerpe, Tom Lister Jr., Stan Kamber and Jason Beghe.

Simpson played Det. Nordberg in all three entries of The Naked Gun film trilogy (1988, 1991, 1994) alongside Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, and George Kennedy. Some of his other film credits included The Towering Inferno (1974), The Cassandra Crossing (1976) and Capricorn One (1978).

His professional success was overshadowed by his trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994. Three years later, he was found liable for the murders in a civil suit from the victims' families, but paid little of the $33.5 million judgment.

Posted by Todd -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Buffalo Bill, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Nickelodeon, Obits, Paramount+, The Thundermans

SitcomsOnline Digest: Rachael Ray to End After 17 Seasons; Fox Renews Krapopolis for Third Season

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's not a very busy news week, but we have (even more) news about the changing landscape of daytime television, a third season renewal for a series that hasn't even started, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• Continuing on on-going theme of how daytime TV is completely changing, Rachael Ray is also coming to an end at the end of this season after 17 seasons (it's hard to believe it has been that long), but it is also significant because her show was the last surviving spinoff of The Oprah Winfrey Show on daytime TV. (Variety)
• In perhaps the most bizarre renewal ever, Fox is giving a third season to Krapopolis, a series that has yet to see a single episode air, because they feel it might be the next Simpsons or Family Guy based upon "gut instict." (Deadline)
• The Thundermans is returning to Nickelodeon. (Deadline)
• Bebe Neuwirth will reprise her role of Lillith on the Frasier reboot. (Deadline)
• Some programs will be excluded due to rights restrictions, but Reelz (the linear channel, not just on demand offerings) is being added to Peacock. (Hollywood Reporter)
• A new Chuck Lorre show is headed to HBO Max, unless it gets canceled before it even airs as many HBO Max series do. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (MARCH 4 - MARCH 10)

• Decades has a Peter Gunn binge this weekend.
• There is a new season of The Voice on NBC on Monday.
• The second season of Perry Mason arrives Monday on HBO.

Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:00 PM

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Labels: Frasier, How to Be a Bookie, Krapopolis, REELZ Channel, SitcomsOnline Digest, The Thundermans

The Thundermans Return; TMZ's New Game Show

Nickelodeon Studios announced the greenlight of The Thundermans Return, an all-new feature-length movie based on the hit live-action superhero comedy, The Thundermans. The movie will follow the superpowered family as they begin a new era of superhero crimefighting. Production on The Thundermans Return will begin in Los Angeles this April, with premiere details to be announced at a later date. In the movie, twins Phoebe and Max are enjoying their superhero lifestyle, but when one 'save' goes awry, the Thundermans are sent back to Hiddenville. While Hank and Barb enjoy their return, and Billy and Nora look forward to a normal high school life, Max and Phoebe are determined to regain their superhero status. The movie will feature the return of show favorites, new villains and familiar locations.

The Thundermans Return stars original series cast members Kira Kosarin as "Phoebe," Jack Griffo as "Max," Addison Riecke as "Nora," Diego Velazquez as "Billy," Maya Le Clark as "Chloe," Chris Tallman as "Hank" and Rosa Blasi as "Barb."

From the producers of TMZ comes an all-new game show, Who The Bleep Is That?, set to debut for a four-week run on FOX stations in 12 major markets - New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, D.C., San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Detroit, Orlando and Milwaukee - beginning Monday, March 6. Who The Bleep Is That? is a half-hour game show hosted by comedian Jeff Dye, where contestants will have their celebrity knowledge put to the ultimate test as they uncover images focusing on TV, music, sports, politics, historical figures and social influencers. Obscured images of celebrities are shown to contestants, and slowly become clear to reveal current photos, throwback photos, sketches, actors in movie roles, images of famous people in relationships, and more. The first contestant to buzz in and guess correctly wins the point, and after three rounds, the contestant with the most points get the chance to play for the grand prize of $5K.

TMZ previously tested a game show in 2016 titled South of Wilshire, which was hosted by TMZ camerman Adam Glyn.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Nickelodeon, The Thundermans, TMZ

Antenna TV Fall 2013 Schedule; New Nick Sitcom The Thundermans Premieres Nov. 2

We mentioned that six new series will be coming to Antenna TV this November, but now we can officially reveal their timeslots. As a reminder, joining Antenna TV's schedule starting Monday, Nov. 4 will be Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Green Acres, Mister Ed, The Patty Duke Show and Flipper. The latter four are migrating over from now sister network THIStv. As usual, Antenna TV will refresh the schedule with many timeslot changes for existing programs as well as adding these six series to its line-up. On weekdays, The Patty Duke Show will air seven days a week from 1-2pm, while from 3-7pm on weekdays will be completely new with an hour each of Mister Ed, Green Acres, I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched, in that order. I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched will also air in late night airing 12-1am and 1-2am, respectively. These series will air on weekends as well with Mister Ed airing 3-4pm both days, while Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie air in primetime on Sunday nights from 8-10am. Green Acres will lead-in to them in late night on Sundays from 2-3am. As for Flipper, the classic family series will air on weekends from 6-7pm following Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.

As for existing series, the key highlight is primetime will now be a set weeknight schedule rather than a rotating show schedule. Weeknights from 8-9pm will be Diff'rent Strokes leading into an hour each of Sanford & Son, All in the Family and Maude from 9pm-12am. A few series will also be back on the line-up, including Circus Boy and Here Come The Brides, both weekend bound, with the former both days from 4-5pm and the latter Sundays 7-9am. With all these additions, some shows will have to have a little rest, but only three shows are going to the bench for now: Benson, Married...with Children and The Nanny. The latter two have come back before to the line-up, so they could return again.

Anyway, view the entire Antenna TV "Fall 2013" schedule that begins in November. And don't forget, Bewitched actually launches on Wednesday, Oct. 30 with a 27-hour marathon! Stay with us for continued updates.

Superhero siblings share an extraordinary secret in Nickelodeon's brand-new live-action comedy series, The Thundermans, premiering Saturday, Nov. 2, at 9 pm (ET/PT). Created and executive produced by three-time Emmy Award-winner Jed Spingarn (Big Time Rush, Jimmy Neutron) and executive produced by Dave Hoge and Dan Cross (Just Jordan, Pair of Kings), the scripted half-hour series follows a pair of superhero twins, Phoebe (Kira Kosarin) and Max Thunderman (Jack Griffo), with opposite personalities, who must navigate their way through school, friends and a family of extraordinary superheroes, all while keeping their true identities a secret. New episodes of The Thundermans will air regularly Saturdays at 9 pm (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. The first episode of The Thundermans will be available for free on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, PlayStation Store, Samsung Media Hub and Vudu until Nov. 2, along with a free behind-the-scenes video called "Meet The Thundermans."

On the series, Phoebe and Max Thunderman are 14-year-old fraternal twins turbocharged by freeze breath and the power to move objects via telekinesis. Phoebe, a good-natured sister, always tries to do the right thing, while Max, a troublemaker, dreams of one day becoming a super villain. Brother Billy (Diego Velazquez) moves at super speed, while younger sister Nora (Addison Riecke) cuts solid objects with her laser beam eyes. Rounding out the family are parents Hank (Chris Tallman), who possesses extraordinary strength and the ability to fly, and Barb (Rosa Blasi), who can generate lightning from her hands. Ultimately, the family must attempt keep their powers under wraps and lead a "normal" life... but can life ever be "normal" in a family of superheroes?

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Antenna TV, Benson, Bewitched, Green Acres, I Dream of Jeannie, Mister Ed, Nickelodeon, Patty Duke Show, The Thundermans