SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

SitcomsOnline Digest: WGA Strike Officially Over; ABC Cancels Home Economics

  Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, the strike is over... well, half of it anyway. We're learning when late night talk shows will be returning (hint: it's very soon), we have news of the cancellation of an ABC sitcom, and discovering a long list of series that will be removed from Hulu very soon, today to be specific. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• The WGA strike has finally come to a close, and late night talk shows are planning to come back on Monday night, but don't expect a lot of scripted material just yet as SAG-AFTRA still has an ongoing strike. (CNN)
• It seems that Saturday Night Live might be able to return before the SAG-AFTRA strike is over, as that strike does not affect the show, but nothing official has been said. (Deadline)
• ABC has cancelled Home Economics, a series that was previously on the bubble. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Byron Allen made a $10 billion offer to buy ABC (and a few other things) from Disney, but despite that talk, it seems that Disney just isn't interested, yet, but that doesn't mean a sale is off the table. (Deadline)
• Would you like more Deal or No Deal? What if it were on an island and hosted by Joe Manganiello? (Entertainment Weekly)
• We have said over and over again that DVDs offer permanence that streaming doesn't offer, and this week, we have learned that Hulu is pulling a number of series from the service effective today, including Ally McBeal, The Practice, Hill Street Blues, The Bob Newhart Show, Better Off Ted, and Arrested Development. (Deadline)
• However, Hulu is adding Moonlighting soon. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6)

• Catchy Comedy has a binge of The Abbott and Costello Show this weekend.
• All of your favorite Fox animated hits return on Sunday night, including The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob's Burgers.
• Magnum, PI and Quantum Leap return for new seasons on Thursday night, with Magnum, PI making the move from CBS to NBC for the new season.

SitcomsOnline Digest: An End on the Horizon for WGA Strike?; Hallmark Ready for Christmas

 Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're in the heart of what is the traditional debut of the fall season, but we're still in a holding pattern with the ongoing strikes... but we're finally seeing some progress on the horizon this week for on of them. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• It's starting to look like a resolution may be coming soon to end the WGA strike, but that still won't bring new scripted series to our screens since there is still an ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike that doesn't appear to be quite as close to a resolution. (CNN)
• It seems that Dancing with the Stars, which was seen to be the type of show that is safe from the strikes, is not so safe after all, and ABC is considering delaying the season premiere. (Hollywood Reporter)
• We're less than a month away from Hallmark's Christmas programming, and it will include plenty of new movies. (Deadline)
• Vanna White is going to be sticking around on Wheel of Fortune for at least a few more years. (Deadline)
• Archer is being made available on FX on-demand, in response to Spectrum dropping FXX but leaving FX on the lineup. (TVLine)
• Season 34 of The Simpsons will arrive on Disney+ on October 11, just a little after the season 35 premiere on Fox. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (SEPTEMBER 23 - SEPTEMBER 29)

• Catchy Comedy is having a Gomer Pyle, USMC binge this weekend.
• Krapopolis, the Fox animated comedy that has been talked about forever, renewed for two more seasons, and had a series premiere delayed by a year, will finally debut on Fox on Sunday... we think.
• The Price is Right and Let's Make a Deal both return for a new season on Monday, in a new studio.

SitcomsOnline Digest: A Black Lady Sketch Show Cancelled at HBO; Another Entertainment Industry Strike Looming

 Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! News was at a slow trickle last week due to the holiday, but we have news for you, including an HBO cancellation, more on the on-going WGA strike (and another potential one from the actors), and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

• A Black Lady Sketch Show is the latest series at HBO to be cancelled. (Variety)
• The WGA strike isn't ending anytime soon, but we did get some (sort of) cast reunions on the picket line. (Deadline)
• Meanwhile, a cloud of a potential SAG-AFTRA strike looms overhead, and the union is prepared to head that direction as early as next week. (Variety)
• Elizabeth Perkins says she is on board for the reboot of Weeds. (Variety)
• Did Candace Cameron Bure try to get a LGBTQ character removed from Fuller House? She denies it, but there is some uncertainty. (Variety)
• Grounded for Life has returned to the LAFF lineup. (SitcomsOnline)

WEEKLY PLANNER (JULY 9 - JULY 15)

• Catchy Comedy has a binge of The Love Boat this weekend.
• Antenna TV has a Benson marathon for their Sunday Special tomorrow.
• Celebrity Family Feud returns with a new season on Sunday on ABC.

SitcomsOnline Digest: Danny Masterson Fired From Netflix Series The Ranch; Disney/Fox Merger a Step Closer?

• Sexual harassment allegations have yet again resulted in another person being fired from another series this week, and this week, Danny Masterson is out from the Netflix series The Ranch. (CBS News)
• It looks like the on-again/off-again flirting that Disney has been doing to try to acquire much of 21st Century Fox is on-again, and we could be hearing something definitive within the next few days, and Deadline has a complete breakdown of what all of this may mean. (Deadline)
• Few details are known so far, but Alec Baldwin could be getting some sort of talk show on ABC. (Entertainment Weekly)
• The nominees are in for the WGA Awards, and broadcast TV was snubbed big time. (Deadline)
• The TV One morning news program NewsOne Now is coming to an end (at least temporarily) while the series retools in an effort to get a larger audience. (Variety)
• The Nanny is getting a new home on COZI. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Shout! Factory is getting back on track with a pair of releases of series that seemed to be abandoned, including Peyton Place - Part Three and Lou Grant - The Final Season, both set for a March release.

HOME MEDIA RELEASES (DECEMBER 12)

• Fuller House - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $24.98): The Tanner family returns for more in the second season of this series on DVD.

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SitcomsOnline Digest: Will and Grace to Air in Fall; Rhoda Season 5 to Arrive on DVD in August

• As much as we've been talking about it, it still feels weird to say that the new season of Will and Grace will air this fall on NBC, something that was indirectly confirmed this week. (New York Daily News)
• It literally went down to the very last second (and even a little bit beyond), but the great looming threat of a strike of the WGA was averted, meaning that your favorite TV shows will go on without interruption. (LA Times) 
• The cast of Happy Days (minus Henry Winkler) reunited this week for the memorial of Erin Moran. (Us Weekly)
• After an extensive search, Kelly Ripa finally got a new co-host, Ryan Seacrest, for the newly titled Live with Kelly and Ryan on Monday, just coincidentally in time for sweeps. (Variety)
• Speaking of Ryan Seacrest, we knew that American Idol wasn't gone for good when Fox aired the "final season" just over a year ago, and while we last heard that NBC may be the one reviving it, it now looks very likely that ABC will be the network that brings it back. (Variety)
• Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy have been renewed (along with the contracts of their respective hosts) through 2020. (Hollywood Reporter)
• As we've mentioned before, specifically in regards to the NBC series This is Us (which performed very well in the first season), it's very important for TV series writers and producers to find ways to maintain those viewers and not just assume they'll stick around, and Fox is learning that as the audience for series Empire continues to erode and reach new ratings lows seemingly every week. (Deadline)
• MeTV brings back their annual "Summer of Me" lineup beginning May 29, and a highlight of that lineup is ALF. (SitcomsOnline)  

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• It seemed unlikely that it would ever happen, but this week, Shout! Factory announced that the fifth season of Rhoda would arrive on DVD on August 15 with the release of Rhoda - The Final Season. This leaves only one season of Lou Grant (which had been announced but temporarily pulled from the Shout! Factory schedule) and both seasons of Phyllis as the only unreleased items from The Mary Tyler Moore Show chronology.
• Another surprise announcement from Shout! Factory this week was the announcement of Just Shoot Me - The Complete Series, which will arrive on August 22.

TUESDAY (MAY 9) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• ALF - The Complete DVD Collection (DVD, $54.98): While it is essentially just a repackaging of the previously released DVDs from Lionsgate, fans who didn't pick up these DVDs before can pick them up now in this release.
• Mannix - The Complete Series (DVD, $129.98): The classic Mike Connors series comes together in one set on this release.
• Orange is the New Black - Season 4 (DVD, $34.98; Blu-ray, $34.97): The fourth season of the Netflix series arrives in this release, just weeks before the debut of the fifth season.
• The Streets of San Francisco - The Complete Series (DVD, $89.98): The classic Karl Malden and Michael Douglas series arrives in one complete set with this release.
• The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $29.99): With the first season released over a decade ago by Warner Home Video, Warner Archive (finally) brings this series back to DVD with the second season.

FOLLOW ME

SitcomsOnline Digest: Is Roseanne Going to be the Next Reboot Series?; WGA Strike Deadline Looming Dangerously Close

• A Roseanne revival, complete with bringing John Goodman's character Dan back to life, may be in the works, though given what happened to the Coach revival that NBC had actually ordered 13 episodes of before scrapping, we don't suggest getting too excited yet (but we're hopeful). (Variety) 
• We've been talking about the threat of a writers strike for the past few weeks, and while even those deeply involved in the negotiations aren't sure how likely it is to happen, a real deadline for going to strike is coming up on Monday, and the first repercussions if it indeed happens would be seen as early as Tuesday night on the late night talk shows. (LA Times) 
• A lot of people probably don't remember the 2007 leaking of several series (including an entire unaired season of Weeds) onto BitTorrent before they could even air, but it seems that may have happened (or will be happening) again, with yet another Jenji Kohan created series, Orange is the New Black. (Deadline)
• It looks like The Big Bang Theory is safe for two more seasons (widely speculated to be the final two), with the entire main cast remaining intact. (Variety)
• Erin Moran died this week, and it sparked a controversy as just about everybody (including her own Happy Days costars) immediately jumped to the conclusion that it had to be drug related, when it was in fact skin cancer; her husband has written an open letter to address the issue of her death. (People)
• NBC has "pulled the plug" (pardon the pun) on Powerless. (SitcomsOnline) 

TUESDAY (MAY 2) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• Red, White, and Blue Collar Sitcoms - Make TV Great Again (DVD, $14.98): This two disc release from Mill Creek brings together 15 episodes from six different "blue collar" comedies of the 80s and 90s.
• Vega$ - The Complete Series (DVD, $59.98): Robert Urich stars as Dan Tanna (not the Full House character played by Bob Saget) in the complete series release of this classic series.

FOLLOW ME

SitcomsOnline Digest: Is Another Writers Strike Looming?; The McCarthys Arrives on DVD

• The Writers Guild of America may be on the verge of going on strike again, something that last happened in the 2007-2008 TV season and caused shortened seasons and a plethora of reality shows to that season, though it's still too early to tell what effect (if any) this one may have on your favorite TV series, if it even happens at all. (Variety) 
• Home Improvement hasn't aired a new episode in almost two decades, but it lawsuits over syndication royalties still persist to this day. (Hollywood Reporter)
• One of next season's episodes of The Carmichael Show is going to address a certain racial slur without censoring it, which seems shocking in 2017, but as cast member Loretta Devine mentions, was not so uncommon on series such as All in the Family and Sanford & Son. (Variety) 
• Leah Remini and Kevin James are set to reunite on the season finale of Kevin Can Wait. . (Hollywood Reporter)
• Chuck Barris, who hosted The Gong Show and created The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game (and claimed to be  CIA assassin, though the CIA disagrees with that), died this week at age 87. (NBC News)
• The Big Bang Theory has gotten a renewal for two more seasons. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Sony has quietly released a MOD release of the CBS sitcom The McCarthys, with The McCarthys - Season 1.

TUESDAY (MARCH 28) HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• Archer - The Complete Season Seven (DVD, $29.98): The seventh season of the FX animated comedy arrives on DVD in this release, although many fans are not to happy that the studio has chosen to discontinue Blu-ray releases beginning with this season.

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2012 WGA Awards Winners, Modern Family Wins Big; Reimagine That! Talks To Alison Arngrim

2012 Nominations for Writers Guild Awards & Producers Guild Awards; Sitcom Stars On Talk Shows (Week of December 12, 2011)

Green Acres, Dallas Marathons on CMT; ABC Family Giveaway; 2011 WGA Awards Nominees

NBC's Today Show Reunites Greatest TV Families of All-Time Next Week (March 1-3); 2010 WGA Awards Winner

NBC's Today show will reunite three of the "Greatest TV Families of All-Time" next week from Monday, March 1 through Wednesday, March 3, 2010. The casts of '70s hits Eight is Enough, The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch will be reuniting to discuss their times on these shows. Oddly enough, all three shows aired on ABC in the '70s and not on NBC. Tune in during the 7-9am portion of Today to see these LIVE reunions! If I were to guess, we will see these reunions sometime in the 8am hour, but record 7-9am just in case if you're not home or want to keep these in your archives. Here are the stars attending:
Monday, March 1 - Eight Is Enough: Dick Van Patten, Willie Aames, Grant Goodeve, Betty Buckley, Laurie Walters, Connie Needham, and Dianne Kay.
Tuesday, March 2 - The Partridge Family: Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, Danny Bonaduce, and Brian Forster.
Wednesday, March 3 - The Brady Bunch: Barry Williams, Susan Olsen, Eve Plumb, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, and Florence Henderson.

If there is any more new information, we will bring it to you right away, so stay with us!


The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced the winners of the 2010 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement in writing for screen, television, radio, news, promotional, and videogame writing at simultaneous ceremonies at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City.
We will of course only cover the television portion. The winners are in BOLD.

DRAMA SERIES
* Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, George Mastras, J. Roberts, John Shiban, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC
* Dexter, Written by Scott Buck, Charles H. Eglee, Lauren Gussis, Clyde Phillips, Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, Tim Schlattmann, Wendy West; Showtime
* Friday Night Lights, Written by Bridget Carpenter, Kerry Ehrin, Ron Fitzgerald, Brent Fletcher, Etan Frankel, Jason Gavin, Elizabeth Heldens, David Hudgins, Rolin Jones, Jason Katims, Patrick Massett, Derek Santos Olson, John Zinman; NBC
* LOST, Written by Carlton Cuse, Adam Horowitz, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Edward Kitsis, Damon Lindelof, Greggory Nations, Kyle Pennington, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Brian K. Vaughan, Paul Zbyszewski; ABC
* Mad Men, Written by Lisa Albert, Andrew Colville, Kater Gordon, Cathryn Humphris, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Brett Johnson, Erin Levy, Marti Noxon, Frank Pierson, Robin Veith, Dahvi Waller, Matthew Weiner; AMC

COMEDY SERIES
* 30 Rock, Written by Jack Burditt, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tom Ceraulo, Vali Chandrasekaran, Tina Fey, Donald Glover, Steve Hely, Matt Hubbard, Dylan Morgan, Paula Pell, Jon Pollack, John Riggi, Tami Sagher, Josh Siegal, Ron Weiner, Tracey Wigfield; NBC
* Curb Your Enthusiasm, Written by Larry David; HBO
* Glee, Written by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy; Fox
* Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Sameer Gardezi, Joe Lawson, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O'Shannon, Brad Walsh, Caroline Williams, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC
* The Office, Written by Jennifer Celotta, Danny Chun, Greg Daniels, Lee Eisenberg, Anthony Q. Farrell, Brent Forrester, Daniel J. Goor, Charlie Grandy, Mindy Kaling, Ryan Koh, Lester Lewis, Paul Lieberstein, Warren Lieberstein, BJ Novak, Michael Schur, Aaron Shure, Justin Spitzer, Gene Stupnitsky, Halsted Sullivan; NBC

NEW SERIES
* Glee, Written by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy; Fox
* The Good Wife, Written by Angela Amato Velez, Corinne Brinkerhoff, Ted Humphrey, Dee Johnson, Todd E. Kessler, Michelle King, Robert King; CBS
* Hung, Written by Colette Burson, Ellie Herman, Emily Kapnek, Brett C. Leonard, Dmitry Lipkin, Angela Robinson; HBO
* Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Sameer Gardezi, Joe Lawson, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O'Shannon, Brad Walsh, Caroline Williams, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC
* Nurse Jackie, Written by Taii K. Austin, Liz Brixius, Rick Cleveland, Evan Dunsky, Nancy Fichman, Liz Flahive, Jennifer Hoppe, Mark Hudis, John Hilary Shepherd, Linda Wallem, Christine Zander; Showtime

EPISODIC DRAMA – any length – one airing time
* "Broken, Part 1 and Part 2" (House), Written by Russel Friend & Garrett Lerner & David Foster & David Shore; Fox
* "Come, Ye Saints" (Big Love), Written by Melanie Marnich; HBO
* "The Grown Ups" (Mad Men), Written by Brett Johnson and Matthew Weiner; AMC
* "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency" (Mad Men), Written by Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner; AMC
* "I Will Rise Up" (True Blood), Written by Nancy Oliver; HBO
* "Phoenix" (Breaking Bad), Written by John Shiban; AMC

EPISODIC COMEDY – any length – one airing time (**TIE**)
* "Apollo, Apollo" (30 Rock), Written by Robert Carlock; NBC
* "Broke" (The Office), Written by Charles Grandy; NBC
* "Chapter 1" (Eastbound & Down), Written by Ben T. Best & Jody L. Hill & Danny McBride; HBO
* "Gossip" (The Office), Written by Paul Lieberstein; NBC
* "Pilot" (Modern Family), Written by Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd; ABC
* "Reunion" (30 Rock), Written by Matt Hubbard; NBC

View the rest of the winners for the television portion.

NBC Midseason 2010 Schedule; 67th Annual Golden Globe Nominations; 2010 WGA Awards Nominees

Fox was the first one to reveal mid-season plans, with ABC and The CW revealing just a bit so far, but now NBC has revealed its full mid-season and post-Winter Olympics schedule as the new drama Parenthood debuts Monday, March 1 at 9 p.m. ET while The Marriage Ref, a hilarious reality comedy panel series from Jerry Seinfeld about marriage, premieres on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET beginning March 14.
In addition, The Celebrity Apprentice returns in its third installment with an all-star lineup of celebrity candidates on Sunday, March 14 from 9-11 p.m. ET.
NBC has still not announced when mid-season sitcom 100 Questions will launch yet and when the mini-series Day One will air. Also, available are Friday Night Lights and reality series Who Do You Think You Are?, but those could be saved for summer.
So, after the Winter Olympics end on Feb. 28, this is how NBC will look from March 1 on:

MONDAYS
8:00 p.m. Chuck (will return January 11; two back-to-back season premiere episodes on Sunday, January 10 from 9-11 p.m., as previously announced)
9:00 p.m. Parenthood (premieres March 1)
10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show
NOTE: Heroes ends its season on Feb. 8 at 9 p.m.

TUESDAYS
8-10 p.m. The Biggest Loser (will return on January 5 with new season)
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 p.m. Mercy
9:00 p.m. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

THURSDAYS
8:00 p.m. Community
8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation
9:00 p.m. The Office
9:30 p.m. 30 Rock
10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

FRIDAYS
8:00 p.m. Law & Order
9:00 p.m. Dateline NBC
10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

SATURDAYS
8-11 p.m. Various Drama Encores

SUNDAYS
7-9 p.m. Dateline NBC (through March 7, then moves to 7 p.m. hour only beginning March 14)
8:00 p.m. The Marriage Ref (debuts March 14)
9-11 p.m. The Celebrity Apprentice (season premiere on Sunday, March 14)
NOTE: NBC will use January for special programming on Sundays following the conclusion of Sunday Night Football.

Stay tuned for full mid-season updates on ABC and The CW and any mid-season updates for CBS, as they still haven't announced anything.


The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominees have been announced! HBO leads with 17 (down 5 from last year) nominations. Showtime follows with 6. Fox leads the broadcast nominees with 6 this year, followed by last year's broadcast leader NBC with 5 (down 6 from last year), CBS with 4, and ABC with 3. Glee was nominated 4 times, for the most of any program. The telecast airs Sunday, Jan. 17, 8-11pm ET on NBC. Here are the major nominees:

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
30 Rock (NBC)
Entourage (HBO)
Glee (Fox)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Office (NBC)
COMMENTS: Curb Your Enthusiasm was snubbed. Two newcomers (Glee, Modern Family) are in!

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Toni Collette, United States of Tara (Showtime)
Courtney Cox, Cougar Town (ABC)
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC)
Lea Michelle, Glee (Fox)
COMMENTS: No Housewives again for a third straight year, but everyone is different from last year except Tina Fey. No America Ferrera?

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC)
Steve Carell, The Office (NBC)
David Duchovny, Californication (Showtime)
Thomas Jane, Hung (HBO)
Matthew Morrison, Glee (Fox)
COMMENTS: The love for Glee continues and no Tony Shalhoub this year.

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
Big Love, (HBO)
Dexter (Showtime)
House (Fox)
Mad Men (AMC)
True Blood (HBO)
COMMENTS: Damages & Grey's Anatomy didn't make it again. Still no Lost, as it really deserves it. Surprised Breaking Bad didn't get in again as this is the same as last year except Big Love is in for In Treatment. Too much cable.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
Glenn Close Damages (FX)
January Jones, Mad Men (AMC)
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (CBS)
Anna Paquin, True Blood (HBO)
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT)
COMMENTS: Sally Field and Mariska Hargitay are not in it this year. Glenn Close made it this year.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
Simon Baker, The Mentalist (CBS)
Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC)
Hugh Laurie, House (Fox)
Bill Paxton, Big Love (HBO)
COMMENTS: Bill Paxton is back after not being nominated last year. Simon Baker now in after his Emmy nomination last season.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jane Adams, Hung (HBO)
Rose Byrne, Damages (FX)
Jane Lynch, Glee (Fox)
Janet McTeer, Into the Storm (miniseries) (HBO)
Chloe Sevigny, Big Love (HBO)
COMMENTS: This is now its own category as in the year's past this and the supporting actor were together. Anyway, why no Brothers and Sisters love this year?

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC)
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
William Hurt, Damages (FX)
John Lithgow, Dexter (Showtime)
Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO)
COMMENTS: As mentioned in the previous category, this is now its own category as in the year's past this and the supporting actress were together. Michael Emerson is now in as he won an Emmy for last season...now he will be favorite for a Golden Globe!

View the FULL list of television nominees and to discuss this.


Finally, we leave you today with the nominations for the 62nd Annual WGA Awards. The Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East announced nominations for outstanding achievement in television, radio, news, promotional writing, and graphic animation during the 2009 season to be honored at the upcoming 2010 Writers Guild Awards on February 20, 2010, in Los Angeles and New York. Comedy wise, 30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, Glee and Modern Family were nominated for their writing work. While Breaking Bad, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Lost, and Mad Men took writing nominations for dramas. Among the other categories, Modern Family and Glee were among the nominees for best new series, while Modern Family, House, 30 Rock, and The Office were among the nominees for actual episodic writing. And The Simpsons have every nomination for animation writing!
View the full nominees. And stay with us and we'll let you know who wins when they are announced on Feb. 20! Let the new awards season begin!

Dancing with the Stars Season 8 Cast; Remembering James Whitmore; WGA Awards Winners

An all-new cast of celebrities hits the dance floor on ABC's Dancing with the Stars with the highly anticipated two-hour season premiere on Monday, March 9, 2009 from 8:00-10:02 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Season Eight introduces us to 13 new stars, including the youngest competitor to date, an NFL legend, a computer icon, a female rapper, three music artists and a "Wildboy."
Additionally, "love is a battlefield" when, for the first time, three real life couples take the ballroom floor. Husband and wife Ty Murray and Jewel compete for bragging rights, while newly engaged professional dancers Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff go head to head. To top it off, country crooner Chuck Wicks teams with girlfriend and two-time Dancing with the Stars champ Julianne Hough. And in an exciting new twist, the bottom two couples facing elimination will "Dance Off" to determine who is dismissed in the first weeks of competition.
Among the stars this upcoming season are David Alan Grier (Life with Bonnie, In Living Color), Gilles Marini (Sex and the City movie), Denise Richards (Wild Things, Spin City), and Nancy O'Dell (Access Hollywood, Scream 2 and 3).
View the full cast and details on each star. As for pairings with professionals, we know Julianne Hough will be with Chuck Wicks as per the press release and Maksim Chmerkovskiy will be with Denise Richards as per Good Morning America. The full professional partnering will be announced on Thursday, February 12.

James Whitmore, the many-faceted character actor who delivered strong performances in movies, television and especially the theater with his popular one-man shows about Harry Truman, Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt, has died. The Emmy and Tony winning actor was diagnosed with lung cancer the week before Thanksgiving and died Friday afternoon (Feb. 6) at his Malibu home. Now he wasn't known really for TV sitcoms, but he did appear on quite a few. In fact, one of his ex-wives was a sitcom star. Mr. Whitmore was married to Audra Lindley of Three's Company fame in the '70s. Even after they divorced in 1979, they remained friends and appeared with each other in the big screen movies Zoo Ship in 1985 and The Relic in 1997. When they were married, they appeared in the TV movie The Canterville Ghost in 1974 and such plays as The Magnificent Yankee, On Golden Pond, The Visit, Foxfire and Love Letters, among others.
In the early '70s he starred on the sitcom Temperatures Rising. Set at the Capital General Hospital in Washington D.C., follows the adventures of the no-nonsense chief of surgery Dr. Vincent Campanelli (James Whitmore) and his all-nonsense staff. He guest starred on the sitcom A Minute With Stan Hooper in 2003. Among his other credits include series regular in dramas The Law and Mr. Jones, Mister Sterling, and My Friend Tony. In 2000 he won an Emmy for outstanding guest actor in a dramatic series for The Practice. Among his other guest appearances include CSI, Burke's Law, Riptide, The White Shadow, Gunsmoke, The Virginian, The Big Valley, Rawhide, Dr. Kildare, Route 66, Twilight Zone, Ben Casey, and more. His other big screen credits include The Shawshank Redemption, The Majestic, Give 'em Hell, Harry, and Battleground. The latter saw him earn Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.
Mr. Whitmore will certainly be missed. His legacy continues with his children and grandchildren, among them are grandson Matty Whitmore who was on Survivor: Gabon. Mr. Whitemore was 87.

Finally, we leave you today with the winners for the 61st Annual WGA Awards. Comedy wise, 30 Rock was the big winner for their writing work. While Mad Men took home the win for writing for dramas. Among the other categories, Breaking Bad won for best new series.
View the full TV portion winners.