SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

by Vincent

Believe it or not, in just a few short months we will be at the end of the 2020-2021 TV season. It's certainly been a non-traditional season, and while the TV season has long been a window of time that's evaportated someone in the advent of cable and streaming services, it feels even less relevant in the time of COVID, where most shows were delayed and some shows, indeed, still haven't returned. Still, it seems like a good time to evaluate the freshman class of sitcoms. And, frankly, it's a fairly uninspiring class. Some of it could be blamed on COVID causing less pilots to be finished in time to be picked up to series. Still, the new sitcoms on broadcast TV this fall don't inspire a lot of long-term confidence.

The buzziest new shows belong to NBC, as Young Rock and Kenan both come from established names. Unsurprisingly, Young Rock in particular has drummed up the most interest of any new sitcom - and yet still, the show's ratings and buzz have fallen quite a bit from where they premiered several weeks ago. Other freshman series include Call Your Mother on ABC and Call Me Kat on FOX. Call Me Kat attracted some eyeballs early on, but like Young Rock, those ratings have largely faded. And Call Your Mother has not done particularly well, either, and has attracted very little critical acclaim or buzz.

Overall, it's yet another disappointing year for broadcast TV sitcoms. With broadcast television increasingly relying more and more on unscripted hits to weather the tide of falling TV ratings, we are desperately in need for a well-made sitcom to steer the changing tides.

TBS announced that it has cast Damon Wayans Jr. (Happy Endings, Let's Be Cops), Jessy Hodges (Indebted, Barry), Alex Karpovsky (Homecoming, Girls), and Nate Torrence (Hello Ladies, Weird Loners) in its upcoming scripted comedy pilot, Kill the Orange-Faced Bear. The pilot is scheduled to begin shooting in Portland in May. Kill the Orange-Faced Bear is a comedy pilot about one man's epic revenge journey after a bear eats his girlfriend. Damon Wayans Jr. will play Hank, the charming, funny and grieving man who's hell-bent on tracking down the bear who attacked his girlfriend on a camping trip. We'll follow his side of the story as well as the bear's, who is just trying to move on from the incident and navigate the other idiot bears in her life. Jessy Hodges will play Stacy, Hank's late girlfriend, as well Jamie, her twin sister with a confusing secret. Alex Karpovsky is Ronnie, an oddball park ranger who has a score to settle with Hank. Nate Torrance is Murray, Hank's best friend and boyfriend to Jamie, who is just trying to keep everyone together.

by Vincent

This past week on Tuesday, NBC debuted a pair of sitcoms, Young Rock and Kenan. They premiered with a lot riding on them, as NBC's future comedy identity may be wrapped up in their success or their failure. And so far, there seems to be more promise of success than failure, particularly for Young Rock, which debuted to better ratings than nearly any sitcom has consistently pulled this year and NBC's highest rated sitcom premiere in over 3 1/2 years, delivering a 1.0 A18-49 rating in Live+Same Day.

Young Rock is especially promising as it debuted to generally strong reviews and is from a respected sitcom producer Nahnatcha Khan, who was behind the successful Fresh Off the Boat and the excellent Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, both airing on ABC. With a big star like The Rock at the helm, there's hope this could be the next big sitcom, and a resurrection of network comedy in what's been a very tough year for the medium, with declining Live+Same Day ratings for nearly all comedies including the big guns of The Goldbergs, The Conners and Young Sheldon.

Fox comedy The Moodys returns for a second season and will premiere with two back-to-back episodes Thursday, April 1 from 9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT and 9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT on Fox. The series will then make its time period premiere Thursday, April 8 at 9:30 PM ET/PT. Starring and executive-produced by Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominees Denis Leary (Rescue Me) and Elizabeth Perkins (Sharp Objects). Season 1 aired during three nights during the 2019 holiday season with 6 episodes airing. The Moodys replaces Call Me Kat, which wraps up its 13 episode run on March 25. Last Man Standing will slide over to 9pm on April 8, while The Moodys airs at 9:30pm. Last Man Standing will likely have a one-hour series finale on May 20. The Moodys should wrap up by May 13, as the series follows a tight-knit, but slightly dysfunctional, family through their misadventures. The Moody family includes SEAN SR. (Leary); his wife, ANN (Perkins); and their three grown children - DAN (Francois Arnaud, "The Borgias"), the youngest of the siblings and the "creative one"; BRIDGET (Chelsea Frei, "Sideswiped"), the middle sister and the "overachiever"; and SEAN JR. (Jay Baruchel, the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise), the oldest sibling and the "failure-to-launch."

The series picks up with Sean Sr. contemplating retirement - road trips across the country in an RV with Ann, while Sean Jr. takes over the family HVAC business. In reality, however, Ann has no intention of leaving her new psychology practice, and Sean Jr. continues to brew up schemes to get rich quick. Bridget, who is in the midst of a divorce, returns home while her fancy new townhouse is being renovated; and Dan leaves Brooklyn for Chicago to live with his girlfriend, Cora (guest star Maria Gabriela de Faria, Deadly Class), only to realize the relationship is moving too quickly. Once again, the Moodys are all under the same roof. Yep, one big, happy family. Season Two guest stars include Gerry Dee (Mr. D), Josh Segarra (Arrow) and more.

Young Rock - Tuesdays at 8:00PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 8:00PM ET/PT

by Vincent

Young Rock focuses on different chapters of Dwayne Johnson's life. From growing up in a strong and resilient family, to being surrounded by the wild characters of his professional wrestling family, to playing football at the University of Miami, the show will explore the crazy rollercoaster that has shaped Dwayne into the man he is today and the larger-than-life characters he's met along the way.

Cast Details:

Adrian Groulx as Dwayne Johnson, Age 10
Ana Tuisila as Lia Maivia
Bradley Constant as Dwayne Johnson, Age 15
Dwayne Johnson as Dwayne Johnson
Joseph Lee Anderson as Rocky Johnson
Stacey Leilua as Ata Johnson
Uli Latukefu as Dwayne Johnson, Age 18-20

Adrian Groulx (Dwayne Johnson, Age 10) is a young actor. Young Rock will be his first major starring role.

Ana Tuilsala (Lia Maivia) is an actress, known for Outrageous Fortune (2005), Samoan Wedding (2006) and now Young Rock (2021).

Bradley Constant (Dwayne Johnson, Age 15) is a young actor. Young Rock will be his first major starring role.

Dwayne Johnson (Dwyane Johnson) is a wrestler-turned actor who the show is based on, known for his many prolific roles in films such as the Fast & Furious movies, Jumanji, GI Joe, and many others.

Joseph Lee Anderson (Rocky Johnson) is an an actor known for his role on TV shows such as S.W.A.T., American Soul, and Timeless.

Stacey Leiula (Ata Johnson) is an actress from New Zealand. Young Rock will be her first US starring role. She is previously known for her role on the popular New Zealand TV series Shortland Street.

Uli Latukefu (Dwayne Johnson, Age 18-20) is an actor, best known for role in the film Alien: Covenant and the Netflix series Marco Polo.

Pilot Plot:

"Working the Gimmick" (Airs Tuesday, February 16 at 8:00PM ET)

As Dwayne Johnson runs for president in 2032, he reflects on his surreal life that's helped shape him into the man he is today. From growing up in a resilient family surrounded by wrestling icons, navigating rebellious teen years, to playing NCAA football at the U. This is how the boy became the man.

Analysis:

For a series that NBC is banking on appealing to wide, mainstream audiences starring a highly popular actor, Young Rock is a pretty odd show. It takes place between 4 entirely separate timelines, and also features an oddball sense of humor that you might not expect from a network sitcom starring The Rock, yet the show's cast (Johnson included) handles it well. The series is created by Nahnatchka Khan, who previously created Fresh Off the Boat and Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23. Fresh Off the Boat was another series that snuck in a lot of offball, off-the-wall humor into its family sitcom friendly premiere, so it doesn't surprise me to see Khan continuing that here. (Don't Trust the B was just a beautifully odd show all around, which is probably why it only lasted for two seasons). There are a lot of things about Young Rock that seemingly shouldn't work - there's just a lot going on here, and The Rock could ultimately prove to be a distraction, a way for a show to coast on its laurels and live off of its star power. Yet, there's some genuinely funny jokes here, and also some really interesting character work.

One of Young Rock's greatest assets is The Rock himself, as The Rock's likable presence translates well into a single-camera sitcom. He's a guy you want to root for, and that translates into all aged versions of The Rock. The actors playing Young Rock do a good job of capturing his energy. Additionally, the show does a really good job of painting its ensemble cast and turning Young Rock into a show that - underneath all the bells and whistles - is a family comedy. Khan continues her strong work on Fresh Off the Boat, creating a family dynamic that is relatable yet entertaining, filled with big and likable characters. The biggest question is if the "gimmick" (to borrow a word used often in Young Rock) of the show will ultimately distract from the solid family sitcom going on during the Young Rock days. The show's meat and potatoes is in its depiction of The Rock's younger days, and as good as The Rock is, the presence of "future" Rock in 2032 ultimately doesn't measure up to the really good stories being told about his childhood. If Young Rock wants to be as good as it can be, it'll spend as much time as it can in the past, only visiting the future when absolutely necessary.

Conclusion:

Young Rock is a lot of shows in one, but the best version of the show is the one that most heavily focuses on the sweet and well-drawn family dynamic of Young Rock's childhood. Granted, a show that doesn't star one of the most liked actors of our generation would likely not have a chance at being a hit, so it makes sense that the show wants to keep The Rock around and continue covering his "future" presidential run. However, if the show wants to be as good as it can, it'll use those not particularly interesting parts sparingly and focus on the strong family sitcom dynamics instead.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 8:00PM ET/PT on our message board.

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TBS announced that its newly re-imagined format of the iconic extreme obstacle course series, Wipeout will premiere on Thursday, April 1 at 9pm/8c. Hosted by multifaceted megastar John Cena (Fast & Furious, The Suicide Squad) and Nicole Byer (Nailed It!, Girl Code), with Camille Kostek (Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model 2019) serving as field host, the all-new 20-hour series takes viewers on a white-knuckle ride, featuring new course elements that will push contestants' athleticism, endurance and determination to even greater extremes as they fight to win the grand cash prize. The new season of Wipeout will feature new format twists and elements that will push the athleticism and willpower of each contestant pairing to even greater extremes, all while delivering more than a few epic fails. Each game has been designed into three rounds and now features a jaw-dropping, three-stage, obstacle course consisting of multiple strategy and decision points designed to test the stamina of the competitors. The series' iconic big balls also make a return, bringing many laughs and surprises along the way for fans.

Following its debut as the #1 new series of the summer in 2008, Wipeout amassed an impressive following throughout its seven seasons on-air on ABC. The series has been formatted globally in 30+ territories including Argentina, Australia and the UK, and has inspired numerous spin-offs and specials.

NBC's Superstore will be closing the doors of Cloud 9 with a one-hour series finale on Thursday, March 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Prior to the finale, beginning Thursday, March 4, originals will move to 8:00pm ET/PT followed by repeats of Young Rock at 8:30pm ET/PT through March 18. As mentioned before, Mr. Mayor wraps up its first season run on Feb. 25 at 8pm after 9 episodes. Through its own comedic lens, Superstore has consistently examined many of the country's most topical issues, including health care, immigration, unionization, the plight of the retail worker and many more. The comedy reached more than 37 million viewers last season, has consistently been one of NBC's strongest comedies. Executive producers Justin Spitzer, Gabe Miller and Jonathan Green last year renewed their overall deals with Universal Television. Spitzer is continuing with his relationship with NBC with his pilot American Auto. Executive producers David Bernad and Ruben Fleischer currently serve as EP's on UTV's The Bold Type on Freeform. Superstore is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Spitzer Holding Company, Miller Green Broadcasting and The District.

HBO Max has picked up Max Original Search Party for a fifth season and signed the series' showrunners Charles Rogers and Sarah-Violet Bliss to a two-year overall deal to develop new programming for the streamer. Search Party stars Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early and Meredith Hagner. The first three seasons followed best friends Dory (Shawkat), Drew (Reynolds), Elliott (Early) and Portia (Hagner) through a messy private investigation, semi-accidental murder, absurd cover-up and sensational trial. In season four, Dory was held prisoner by her psychotic stalker Chip (Cole Escola), forcing Drew, Elliott and Portia to once again become a search party – but this time, for Dory. The comedy series, known for its trenchant satire of millennial culture, has a series 97% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. The first two seasons aired on TBS before the series moved to HBO Max for seasons three and four. The first episode of Search Party season four is currently available to stream for free on HBO Max and the HBO Max website.

NBC has set premiere dates for its two upcoming single camera comedies: Young Rock will debut on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and Kenan will debut immediately after on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 8:30 p.m. Both series will air through and including Tuesday, May 4. This means, following its sixth episode of the season on Feb. 9, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist will go on hiatus and return in the spring during another night. Young Rock focuses on different chapters of Dwayne Johnson's life. From growing up in a strong and resilient family, to being surrounded by the wild characters of his professional wrestling family, to playing football at the University of Miami, the show will explore the crazy rollercoaster that has shaped Dwayne into the man he is today and the larger-than-life characters he’s met along the way. Dwayne Johnson, Joseph Lee Anderson, Stacey Leilua, Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant, Uli Latukefu, Ana Tuisila, Fasitua Amosa and John Tui star.

In Kenan, Kenan, a recently widowed host of Atlanta's #2 morning show, struggles to balance his job and his young daughters despite all the "help" he gets from his father-in-law and his brother/assistant/manager/house guest. Kenan Thompson, Chris Redd, Kimrie Lewis, Dani Lane, Dannah Lane and Don Johnson star.

Actor Peter Mark Richman (often credited as Mark Richman), who appeared as Reverend Snow in Three's Company and as Andrew Laird in Dynasty, has died. He died of natural causes at his home in Woodland Hills, California, on January 14. Mr. Richman was 93.

Richman had a recurring role as Reverend Snow, Chrissy's (Suzanne Somers) father, in three episodes of Three's Company from 1977 to 1979. He appeared in the episodes "Chrissy Comes Home" (Season 2), "Triangle Troubles" (Season 3) and "The Reverend Steps Out" (Season 4). Suzanne Somers had this to say about him in a statement to People: "Comedy is musical. Peter Mark Richman and I understood the music from the very first time we appeared together on Three's Company. He knew his 'stuff.' We lost a good one. Rest In Peace Peter Mark Richman."

He played Nicholas "Nick" Cain in the 1961 films The Murder Men and The Crimebusters. He reprised the role of Nicholas Cain, a former lawyer for the mob, in the short-lived 1961-1962 NBC police drama Cain's Hundred. Richman later starred as Duke Paige in the short-lived 1971-1972 ABC detective drama Longstreet.

Richman had a recurring role as Andrew Laird, a former criminal attorney who is Blake Carrington's (John Forsythe) shrewd and levelheaded chief legal counsel, in 29 episodes of the ABC prime time soap opera Dynasty from 1981 to 1984.

He appeared as Channing Creighton 'C.C.' Capwell in 28 episodes of Santa Barbara in 1984. He had a recurring role as Lawrence Carson in four episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 from 1993 to 1994.

Some of his many television drama guest appearances included The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Combat!, The Fugitive, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Invaders, It Takes a Thief, Hawaii Five-0, The Virginian, Mission: Impossible, The F.B.I., McCloud, Ironside, Barnaby Jones, Police Story, The Bionic Woman, Wonder Woman, Charlie's Angels, Vega$, Galactica 1980, Hart to Hart, Fantasy Island, Knight Rider, Hotel and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

His other sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat in 1985 and Too Close for Comfort in 1986. He voiced The Phantom in the 1986-1987 animated series Defenders of the Earth.

Some of his other film credits included Family Persuasion (1956), The Strange One (1957), Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) and The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991).

Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Helen Richman; five children, Howard Richman and his wife, Cherie, Kelly Lester and her husband, Loren, Lucas Richman and his wife, Debbie, Orien Richman and his wife, Alevé, and Roger Richman; as well as six grandchildren, Jenny, Lily, Max, Julia, Oliver and Danica.

Mr. Richman was a talented character actor. He appeared in over 130 television series and about 30 films from the 1950s before his retirement in 2011. He made only three guest appearances in Three's Company, but he left a lasting impression to fans for his memorable role as Reverend Snow. We thank him for the enterainment he brought us during his long career. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Three's Company message board.

by Vincent

As we look towards the end of this truly strange year, it's time to take a look at the future, which hopefully will be a little more positive than this year was. There are a couple of new and returning sitcoms I'm really excited about in 2021, and I'll outline them in this blog post.

The first sitcom I am excited about is NBC's Mr. Mayor, which was created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, who previously created the brilliant 30 Rock and the very funny Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Mr. Mayor also stars Ted Danson, fresh off his excellent role as Michael on The Good Place. This is easily my most anticipated sitcom of 2021. Also on NBC, Young Rock is set to premiere this year, and I think that could be a really fun show. It will detail the youth of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and NBC is hoping his popularity will be enough to help it launch the future of its comedy brand now that Superstore is on the way out.

Some shows will also be returning in 2021 that I'm interested in. The third season of Cobra Kai, originally made for YouTube Red but now moving to Netflix, came out with a great trailer that makes me really pumped to see where the show goes. Cobra Kai had an excellent first season and an uneven but very gripping second season. I'm hoping Season 3 will work out the kinks and cement its place as an excellent show that straddles the line of comedy and drama. There is also an iCarly reboot in the works, although it is unclear on if it will be ready in 2021. Still, although reboots have had a mixed success rate, it could be a big draw for younger millennials and Gen Z viewers who grew up with the series. There is a lot to look forward to on TV in 2021, and hopefully it'll be a nice palate cleanse from this tough year.

Critically-acclaimed Peacock Original comedy A.P. Bio has been renewed for a fourth season. The 8-episode season will be coming to Peacock in 2021. The first three seasons of A.P. Bio are currently streaming on Peacock. When disgraced Harvard philosophy scholar Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton) loses out on his dream job, he is forced to return to Toledo, Ohio, and work as a high school advanced placement biology teacher. As he comes crashing into Whitlock High School, Jack makes it absolutely clear that he will not be teaching any biology. Realizing he has a roomful of honor roll students at his disposal, Jack decides instead to use the kids' brainpower for his own benefit. Over time, his students help him realize his dream job might actually be the one he has right now. Eager to prove that he is still king of the castle, Principal Durbin (Patton Oswalt) struggles to control the force of nature that is Jack Griffin. The series also stars Mary Sohn, Lyric Lewis, Jean Villepique and Paula Pell.

Below is the cast for the new NBC comedy Young Rock, which focuses on different chapters of Dwayne Johnson's life. From growing up in a strong and resilient family, to being surrounded by the wild characters of his professional wrestling family, to playing football at the University of Miami, the show will explore the crazy rollercoaster that has shaped Dwayne into the man he is today and the larger-than-life characters he's met along the way. The series will premiere in 2021.

· Adrian Groulx as Dwayne Johnson (AKA Dewey), Age 10 - Honest, headstrong, impressionable and bold.
· Bradley Constant as Dwayne Johnson, Age 15 - Doing his best to fit in as a normal teenager but puberty has other ideas. His size and full mustache have his classmates convinced he's an undercover cop.
· Uli Latukefu as Dwayne Johnson, Age 18-20 - Has just been recruited to play football on a full scholarship at powerhouse University of Miami. Though a super-star talent, a devastating injury his freshman year puts his life at a crossroads.
· Stacey Leilua as Ata Johnson, Dwayne's mother - Grew up in a first generation pro wrestling family. A strong woman, both by nature and necessity, she's a hopeful positive force in young Dwayne's life.
· Joseph Lee Anderson as Rocky Johnson, Dwayne's father - Charismatic and charming, the pro wrestling champion juggles the ups and downs of his career with being a well-intentioned, but unorthodox, husband and father.
· Ana Tuisila as Lia Maivia, Ata's mother and Dwayne's grandmother. The first female pro-wrestling promoter in the country. A sweet loving grandmother and when need be, a cutthroat, ruthless businesswoman.

The series will be executive produced by Nahnatchka Khan, Dwayne Johnson, Jeff Chiang, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Brian Gewirtz and Jennifer Carreras. Jeffrey Walker serves as producer director / co-EP. The pilot was co-written by Khan and Chiang. Johnson will appear in each episode as the focus and inspiration of the series will be about his formative years. Universal Television, Seven Bucks Productions and Fierce Baby Productions will produce. Johnson and Garcia's Seven Bucks Productions is a global entertainment force with film revenues exceeding $10 billion worldwide. Johnson recently starred in Jumanji: The Next Level, which has grossed nearly $800 million worldwide, and will next star in Disney's Jungle Cruise.

Writer/director/showrunner Khan's Fierce Baby Productions is a film and TV production company focused on amplifying new voices and perspectives in both comedy and drama. Khan is the creator and executive producer of the groundbreaking ABC television series Fresh Off the Boat, which recently ended its six-year run, and previously Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23, which ran for two seasons on ABC.

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced its first ever digital animated short-form comedy series Sincerely, Camille from creator Munirah Safiyah Jones (Junt Land). A key component to the network's OWN YOUR VOTE nonpartisan get-out-the-vote initiative, the six-part original series offers a humorous, irreverent, and informative take on politics and the issues impacting Black women in the lead-up to the 2020 November election. The first two episodes launched Tuesday, September 29, on Twitter and is also available across OWN's digital platforms and the network's Watch OWN App as of yesterday, Wednesday, September 30. Subsequent episodes, each approximately five minutes in length, will roll out twice weekly.

Sincerely, Camille follows a trio of women - Camille, Staci, and Sara - navigating life, work and relationships in the throes of the 2020 presidential election cycle. Three friends, three different viewpoints, three varying approaches to evoking civic participation. The series follows the women's efforts to get their communities informed, engaged, and inspired to act in one of the most important elections in American history. The satirical series provides powerful insight and edgy social commentary on the current political climate and the choices Black women face this fall. 

The TCA Winter 2020 Press Tour continued this weekend with NBC on Saturday and CBS on Sunday. Let's get the round-up updates going! Starting with NBC, from Nahnatchka Khan and Dwayne Johnson, NBC has given an 11-episode series order to Young Rock, a single-cam comedy inspired by Johnson himself. The series will be executive produced by Nahnatchka Khan, Dwayne Johnson, Jeff Chiang, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Brian Gewirtz and Jennifer Carreras. The show will be produced by Universal Television, Seven Bucks Productions and Fierce Baby Productions. The pilot was co-written by Khan and Chiang. Johnson will appear in each episode as the focus and inspiration of the series will be about his formative years. Jimmy Fallon is set to host That's My Jam, a new comedy variety event series inspired by the wildly popular, celebrity-fueled musical segments made famous on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. What is sure to be a high-energy hourlong party, That's My Jam will premiere out of the Tokyo Olympics and mark Fallon's first venture in primetime. NBC has ordered an epic 10-part global event series The New World from BBC Studios Natural History Unit, which is set to air in 2024. For the first time ever, The New World will scale across North America, Central America and South America to explore the vast landscapes, remote wilderness and mysterious creatures that inhabit the region.

In renewal news, NBC's hit drama series New Amsterdam has been renewed for three years, through the 2022-23 season. NBC has renewed its highly successful first-ever holiday special event series Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways for a new holiday season. NBC has renewed its hit crafts-making series Making It, hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, for a third season. And finally, Award-winning comedy icons Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are returning to the Golden Globes as co-hosts for the 2021 telecast. Fey and Poehler were critically applauded when they hosted the Globes from 2013-15, receiving universal praise for their witty on-stage banter and effortless rapport with one another. Fey, along with Robert Carlock, is co-creator and an executive producer of NBC's upcoming Universal Television-produced untitled comedy series starring Ted Danson as L.A.'s mayor. Holly Hunter also stars.

Moving on to CBS, they announced it has given a series commitment to Clarice, a new drama project written and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet. It's 1993, a year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs. Clarice is a deep dive into the untold personal story of Clarice Starling as she returns to the field to pursue serial murderers and sexual predators while navigating the high stakes political world of Washington, D.C. CBS' top-rated daytime game show The Price Is Right hosted by Drew Carey will return to primetime with three new celebrity-themed The Price Is Right at Night specials to be broadcast in spring 2020. Building on the momentum of December's two holiday primetime specials that featured David Boreanaz and the cast of SEAL Team and actor Seth Rogen, the spring specials will also feature celebrities being called to "come on down" to the iconic stage to play for charity. Survivor celebrates its upcoming 40th season with a new one-hour special, Survivor at 40: Greatest Moments and Players, to be broadcast Wednesday, Feb. 5 from 8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. The milestone 40th edition of Survivor, hosted by Emmy Award winner Jeff Probst, premieres with a special two-hour episode one week later, on Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 8:00-10:00 PM, ET/P on the CBS Television Network.

CBS All Access, CBS' digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, also released lots of news. CBS All Access announced plans for three new original children's series from DreamWorks Animation's Classic Media. Beginning Friday, Jan. 17, subscribers will be able to stream all-new editions of Lassie, George of the Jungle and Mr. Magoo. They also announced the second season renewal of its upcoming original series Star Trek: Picard. Season one of Star Trek: Picard premieres on CBS All Access in the U.S. on Thursday, Jan. 23. Also announced was the first round of casting for season two of its original anthology series The Twilight Zone will include Morena Baccarin, Colman Domingo, Ethan Embry, Jenna Elfman, Tavi Gevinson, Tony Hale, Abbie Hern, Gillian Jacobs, Sophia Macy, Joel McHale, Chris Meloni, Billy Porter, Jimmi Simpson and Daniel Sunjata. Each will appear in an episode of the upcoming 10-episode second season, slated to premiere exclusively on CBS All Access in 2020.

CBS All Access announced a new series order for the animated comedy The Harper House, created by Brad Neely, who will also serve as executive producer alongside Katie Krentz. The series will follow an overconfident female head-of-a-household as she struggles to regain a higher status for herself, and for her family of oddballs, after losing her job and moving from the rich side to the poor side of an Arkansas small town. To save money, they've moved into their inherited Victorian fixer upper, the historic Harper House. They also announced plans for a new animated variety series, Tooning Out the News. A CBS Television Studios production, the series is executive produced by Stephen Colbert and Chris Licht of CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and RJ Fried and Tim Luecke from SHOWTIME's Our Cartoon President. This series will provide short daily segments leading up to a weekly full episodes featuring a cast of animated characters mocking news of the day, and interviewing real-world guests and newsmakers.