SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got news about Community, an update (somewhat) on the contracts of The Big Bang Theory cast members, and news of the complete series of The Equalizer arriving on DVD. Let's get going!

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• It has been known for quite some time that The Equalizer was coming to DVD, and now it appears that fans will be able to get the entire series in one deluxe collection, as VEI is now selling The Equalizer - The Complete Collection on their website. It will be shipped beginning August 19.
• It only took three and a half years after it was first announced, but Warner Archive has finally released Gilligan's Planet - The Complete Series, the second cartoon series that was based upon Gilligan's Island.
• For those who aren't necessarily interested in making the big investment into one of the Batman complete series releases, Warner Home Video will also be releasing Batman - The Complete First Season on November 11.

Who to Follow: Alison Brie (Twitter), "Always late...but worth the wait."

Claim to Fame: Alison Brie's first TV role came when she was 24, in a small role on the series Hannah Montana. It was only a year later, in 2007, that she was in a recurring role on Mad Men, a role that she played as recently as this year. She is best known to sitcom fans, though, from her role as Annie on the NBC (and soon-to-be Yahoo! Screen) series Community.

Pick of the Tweets: "Thank you, Community fans, for 5 seasons of incredible, heartwarming support. So deeply proud to have been a part of this. #darkesttimeline" (May 9, 2014)

TV Land announced that Emmy(R) Award nominee Mayim Bialik (Blossom, The Big Bang Theory) will host TV Land's new original version of Candid Camera alongside executive producer and long-time host Peter Funt, son of the show's creator and first host, Allen Funt. As we first broke, the series will premiere on TV Land on Monday, August 11 at 8pm, with original episodes also airing Tuesday, August 12; Wednesday, August 13; and Thursday, August 14 at 8pm. Candid Camera will begin airing in its regular time slot on Tuesdays at 8pm on August 19th. Encore episodes can be seen throughout the week at 8pm. Be on the lookout for the cameras! Candid Camera's crew is all over the country taping now, having already visited cities such as Chicago, IL and Norwalk, CT, and even The Big Apple, where actress Megan Hilty (Smash) and Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg helped pull gags on unsuspecting New Yorkers and delivering the iconic line, "Smile, you're on 'Candid Camera!'"

Before reality television even had a name, the original series introduced the hidden camera concept to television in 1948, and Candid Camera continued in several iterations over the course of more than 50 years. The landmark series concealed cameras to capture the reactions of ordinary people being confronted with unusual and often challenging situations. On August 11, after influencing generations of television programs, the gold standard returns.


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 July 28-August 1, 2014, 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!

Sunday, July 27, 2014

• Fran Drescher (The Nanny/Happily Divorced) - Fran talks about her battle with cancer, meeting the love of her life, and her latest role on Broadway on Oprah: Where Are They Now? at 9pm on OWN.

Monday, July 28, 2014

• Will Arnett (The Millers/Up All Night/Arrested Development) - Watch Will on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) - Melissa appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Rachelle Lefevre (Life on a Stick/Big Wolf on Campus) - Rachelle visits on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley/Carpoolers) - T.J. is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun/Twenty Good Years) - John chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Marlon Wayans (The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon drops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Roseanne Barr (Roseanne) - Roseanne appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Whoopi Goldberg (Whoopi/Bagdad Cafe) - Whoopi talks about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Keke Palmer (True Jackson, VP) - Keke interviews Queen on The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
• Swoosie Kurtz (Mike & Molly/Love, Sidney) - Swoosie is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
• Don Rickles (C.P.O. Sharkey/Daddy Dearest) - Mr. Warmth appears on Larry King Now at 2/5pm PT/ET on Ora.tv and Hulu.
• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony joins the Plugged In panel on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Wendi McClendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement) - Wendi is a guest on a repeat of The Better Show, so check your local listings.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Catch Chris on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Judy Greer (Married/Mad Love/Miss Guided) - Judy appears on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Molly Shannon (Kath & Kim) - Molly is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Cloris Leachman (Raising Hope/The Facts of Life/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Cloris appears on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Leah Remini (The King of Queens/Family Tools) - Tune in to see Leah on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Joel McHale (Community) - Joel will be on GMA Live! at 9:00am. He will also be a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

• Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) - Watch Eric on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Chris visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and later on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Norm Macdonald (The Norm Show) - Norm appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Kelsey Grammer (Partners/Frasier/Cheers) - Kelsey is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach visits Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry joins the Chew Crew on a repeat of ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Wendie Malick (Hot in Cleveland/Just Shoot Me!) - Wendie is a guest on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Seinfeld) - Catch Julia on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Ron Funches (Undateable) - Ron visits The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse appears on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Carl (The Dick Van Dyke Show) and Rob Reiner (All in the Family) - Carl and Rob are guests on Tavis Smiley on PBS, so check your local listings.
• Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Chris is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) - Eric stops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT. He will also be on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Martin Lawrence (Partners/Martin) - Martin talks about his new FX series Partners on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• George Lopez (Saint George/George Lopez) - George is a guest on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• David Alan Grier (Bad Teacher/Less Than Perfect/DAG) - David appears on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
• Judy Greer (Married/Mad Love/Miss Guided and Nat Faxon (Married/Ben Kate) - The stars of FX's Married are guests on Larry King Now at 2/5pm PT/ET on Ora.tv and Hulu.

Friday, August 1, 2014

• Martin Lawrence (Partners/Martin) - Watch Martin on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Jenny Slate (Married/Parks and Recreation) - Jenny visits The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• John Stamos (Full House/Jake in Progress) - John appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Jada Pinkett Smith (A Different World) - Tune in to see Jada on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Rachelle Lefevre (Life on a Stick/Big Wolf on Campus) - Rachelle is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Wendi McClendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement) - Wendi joins the Chew Crew on a repeat of ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• William Shatner ($#*! My Dad Says) - William chats and performs a song on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
• Pooch Hall (The Game) - Pooch is a guest on SportsNation at 3pm on ESPN2.
• Sheryl Lee Ralph (Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl will be on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• The Wayans Brothers - Damon, Shawn, Marlon and Keenen are guests on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.

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!

Cozi TV is adding another sitcom. After just adding The Dick Van Dyke Show in June and Make Room For Daddy and The Real McCoys earlier this year, now another sitcom will grace the schedule. Cozi TV is adding the the early '70s sitcom Here's Lucy starring the legendary Lucille Ball to its line-up starting Monday, August 11. The sitcom will air weekdays at 4:00pm & 4:30pm. We'll have more on how this affects the rest of the schedule soon, such as where Make Room for Daddy will move to as a result. This series originally aired from 1968-74 on CBS and was Lucille Ball's third sitcom at the time. The legendary queen of television comedy is joined by her real-life children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr. Ball plays Lucille Carter, widowed mother of teenagers Kim and Craig. Lucy works for her brother-in-law Harry, played by Gale Gordon, who owns Carter's Unique Employment Agency, leading Lucy into endless predicaments and hilarious hijinks. Stay with us for more info soon! COZI TV has more than 60 affiliates, serving nine of the top 10 U.S. television markets.

Well that was fast. The CW has pulled new comedies Seed and Backpackers from its schedule after just two episodes a piece. The comedies were airing on Monday nights following repeats of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Now repeats of Arrow will air Mondays at 9pm for a few weeks before the new season of America's Next Top Model debuts. That series will have its season premiere on Monday, Aug. 18 at 9, instead of the previously announced Friday, Aug. 22 start date. Back to the comedies, the ratings were terrible with this past Monday's airing doing an anemic 0.2 and 0.1 18-49 rating respectively and just 440,000 and 350,000 viewers. These comedies were imports from Canada.

TVGN is tapping into the CBS/Paramount library with some TV classics. They are adding sitcoms and dramas from various eras: Wings, Family Ties, The Love Boat, JAG, Joan of Arcadia and 7th Heaven. They will join existing CBS/Paramount series Cheers and Sony's Who's the Boss? on the line-up. Some of these series have already started and are airing in a block format weekly in the afternoons. Series still to premiere include: The Love Boat, which begins on Thursday, July 31 with a block from 12-4pm, while 7th Heaven will be aired as a strip beginning Monday, Aug. 4 airing weekdays at noon. Afternoon blocks will be as follow: JAG on Mondays, Family Ties on Tuesdays, Wings/Cheers on Wednesdays, The Love Boat on Thursdays and Joan of Arcadia on Fridays, all from about 12-4pm (then 1-4pm once 7th Heaven starts). Who's the Boss? will air weekdays from 9-10am (times vary). This is certainly great news and we hope TVGN gets even more sitcoms/dramas from that CBS/Paramount library. Perhaps Webster or Dear John?

The premiere of Hallmark Channel's original movie For Better or For Worse, starring Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields (The Facts of Life), became Hallmark Channel's highest rated and most watched original movie of 2014 to-date, as well as the #1 household-rated cable movie of the week and day, averaging a 1.8 household rating with 1.6 million homes. The film also struck a chord in key demo ratings, making the network #1 in total viewers (0.9 rtg) and #2 among women 18-49 (0.8 rtg) and women 25-54 (0.9 rtg). The world premiere of For Better or Worse reached more than 3.0 million unduplicated viewers. In the movie, Facts of Life alumnae Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields reunite in an adaptation of the bestselling novel For Better Or For Worse by Diann Hunt. Antonio Cupo, Edward Ruttle and Alicia Josipovic co-starred in this romantic comedy about a woman who learned that opening herself up to a second chance at love may allow her to find true happiness again.

It was day two for Fox's TCA summer 2014 press tour and they had FX and FXX take center-stage. Cowabunga! In celebration of its landmark acquisition of the exclusive cable and authenticated non-linear VOD rights to legendary animated comedy The Simpsons, FXX will launch a record-breaking marathon of the series on August 21, 2014. The marathon will begin August 21, 2014 at 10 AM ET/PT and will conclude September 1, 2014 at 12 AM ET/PT, making it the longest-running marathon in television history. For 24 hours a day, over the course of the 12 days, FXX will air 552 episodes of The Simpsons (through Season 25) as well as The Simpsons Movie (airing after episode 400), in chronological order. Beginning September 2, FXX will regularly schedule The Simpsons episodes in fringe, primetime and late-night dayparts on weekdays and weekends. We will have more info on that SOON! Additionally, every Sunday the network will broadcast a thematic mini-marathon consisting of eight Simpsons episodes beginning at 4 PM ET/PT and leading into the 8 PM ET/PT broadcast on Fox. Starting in August, through its deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television, FXX will become the cable network home for all seasons of The Simpsons, excluding seasons airing in their first run on Fox. FX Networks' app, FXNOW, will be the exclusive non-linear home for all seasons of The Simpsons, excluding seasons airing in their first run on FOX. FXX will get subsequent seasons of The Simpsons as new seasons begin their first run on Fox.

FX has picked up a fifth season of the Emmy(R)-nominated comedy series Louie. The seven-episode new season from Creator/Executive Producer/Writer/Star/Director/Editor Louis C.K. will premiere in Spring 2015. And aw geez, get your snow gear ready, FX is headed back to Fargo! Executive Producer and Writer Noah Hawley is moving forward with a second installment of the multiple Emmy(R)-nominated miniseries from MGM Television and FX Productions. And that's a wrap for our coverage of the TCA summer 2014 press tour. Stay tuned for the winter portion this January!

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will remember award-winning actor James Garner on Monday, July 28, with an all-day 24-hour marathon featuring 12 of his films beginning at 6am. The lineup features Garner's performances in such movies as Toward the Unknown (1956), which marked his film debut; the racing drama Grand Prix (1966); the popular romantic comedy The Thrill of It All (1963); the Paddy Cheyefsky-penned The Americanization of Emily (1964); the groundbreaking drama The Children's Hour (1961); and the gender-bending Victor/Victoria (1982). Now us TV/sitcom fans are waiting for a marathon of Maverick, The Rockford Files and/or 8 Simple Rules. Besides the regular airings of those shows on the networks they air, no tribute has been planned yet. Stay with us, if anything comes up.

Yesterday it was Fox's turn at the TCA summer 2014 press tour. Among the key announcements were: this fall, Fox attracts an all-star lineup of guest voices on returning animated series American Dad!, beginning Sunday, Sept. 14 from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT, with two back-to back episodes; The Simpsons at 8:00PM ET/PT and a special one-hour broadcast of Family Guy from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT, premiering Sunday, Sept. 28; and Bob's Burgers, debuting Sunday, Oct. 5 at 7:30PM ET/PT. Jane Fonda, Willem Dafoe, Nick Offerman, Julie Bowen, Liam Neeson, Allison Janney, Kevin Kline, Zach Galifianakis, Kim Kardashian, Megan Mullally, Bill Hader, Aziz Ansari, Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael Key are among the guest voices featured this Fall on all four series. Meanwhile, Multiple Emmy Award winner Hank Azaria ( The Simpsons) has been cast as Bud Buckwald, the lead voice role on Bordertown, the new animated comedy from Family Guy's Mark Hentemann and Seth MacFarlane. Azaria joins the previously announced voice cast of Alex Borstein (Family Guy), Missi Pyle (Jennifer Falls), Judah Friedlander (30 Rock), Nicholas Gonzalez (Sleepy Hollow) and guest voice Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite). Among the panels were for new drama Gotham, new sitcom Mulaney, new drama Red Band Society, new drama Gracepoint, returning drama Sleepy Hollow, and a comedy panel with producers of The Simpsons, Family Gut, New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Mindy Project.

As for The CW, they were up on Friday. Among the key news was that they will keep bringing the funny with its hit improvisational comedy series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, ordering an additional 24 all-new, half-hour episodes to debut in 2015. A premiere date and time for the new cycle of episodes will be announced at a later date. The panels they had were for new dramas Jane the Virgin, The Flash, and returning drama Supernatural. Premium network Showtime then took over for the rest of the day in the afternoon. Stay with us for continued updates.

Television and film actor James Garner, who starred as Bret Maverick in Maverick and as Jim Rockford in The Rockford Files, has died. He was found dead of natural causes at his Los Angeles home on July 19. Mr. Garner was 86.

Garner's television career began with appearances in Warner Brothers Presents, Zane Grey Theater, Conflict, Cheyenne and Sugarfoot. He got his big break in 1957 when he landed the role of professional gambler Bret Maverick in the western comedy series Bret Maverick. The series ran from 1957-1962 on ABC. It also starred Jack Kelly as his brother, Bart Maverick. Garner left the series after the third season due to a contract dispute. Roger Moore was brought in to play cousin Beau Maverick. Another brother, Brent Maverick, was played by Robert Colbert.

Garner and Kelly reprised their roles in the 1978 TV movie The New Maverick. Garner returned to the role again in the 1981-1982 NBC western Bret Maverick. The show was canceled after only one season despite decent ratings. He played Marshal Zane Cooper in the 1994 film adaptation Maverick, which starred Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster.

He starred in the 1971-1972 NBC western series Nichols. Garner played the motorcycle-riding anti-hero sheriff named Nichols. It was set in the fictional town of Nichols, Arizona, in 1914. The series also starred Neva Patterson, John Beck, Stuart Margolin, Margot Kidder and Alice Ghostley. It ran for one season and 24 episodes.

Garner's next big television role was as private detective Jim Rockford in The Rockford Files. The popular detective drama ran for six seasons on NBC from 1974-1980. The series, which was created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell, also starred Noah Beery, Jr., Joe Santos, Gretchen Corbett and Stuart Margolin. Garner won an Emmy Award in 1977 for Best Actor. There were eight Rockford Files TV reunion movies made for CBS from 1994 to 1999.

In 1991, he starred in the NBC sitcom Man of the People. Garner played Jim Doyle, a con man chosen to fill an empty seat on a city council. The short-lived series, which ran for only 10 episodes, also starred Kate Mulgrew, Corinne Bohrer, Taylor Nichols, George Wyner and Romy Walthall.

He provided the voice of God in the 2000 NBC animated series God, the Devil and Bob. He had a recurring role as Hubert 'Hue' Miller in the final season of Chicago Hope in 2000. In 2002, he starred as Chief Justice Thomas Brankin in the CBS legal drama First Monday. The short-lived series, centered on the U.S. Supreme Court, also starred Joe Mantegna, Charles Durning, Randy Vasquez, Hedy Burgess, Christopher Wiehl and Joe Flanigan.

Garner joined the cast of the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules after the sudden death of John Ritter in 2003. He played Grandpa Jim Egan, the father of Cate Hennessy (Katey Sagal), in the final two seasons of the series. Suzanne Pleshette appeared as his estranged wife, Laura.

He starred in more than 50 films. Some of his more notable credits included The Great Escape, The Americanization of Emily, Grand Prix, Victor Victoria, Murphy's Romance, My Fellow Americans, Space Cowboys and The Notebook. He received an Emmy Award nomination for his role opposite Sally Field in Murphy's Romance. For a complete listing of his credits, please visit his IMDB page.

The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with him in 1999. Survivors include his wife, Lois, whom he married on August 17, 1956; his stepdaughter Kimberly; and his daughter Greta "Gigi" Garner.

Mr. Garner was a true legend on both the small and big screen. He was a very versatile and talented actor. We will forever remember him for his television roles as Bret Maverick, Jim Rockford and Grandpa Jim Egan. He will be greatly missed.

You can catch James Garner on television everyday. The Rockford Files airs regularly on the MeTV Network weekdays at noon and Sundays at 6pm. Maverick airs on COZI TV weekdays at 11am and on Encore Westerns at 2pm. And 8 Simple Rules airs weekdays at 12 & 12:30pm on ABC Family. Stay with us for updates on any tributes planned for him.

Share your memories on our Rockford Files message board. View photos in our galleries.

We are in the summer season in television. We will be back with our normal weekly ratings report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did all summer long! We have some new broadcast sitcom airings this summer, see below. Here are our summer ratings: