Sunday, October 06, 2013
Week 2 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did
2013-14 Week 2 TV Ratings (first four nights, Mon-Thu):
Households: #1. CBS 7.1/11 rating/share (-8% in rating from first four nights week 1); #2. NBC 5.6/9 (-11%); #3. ABC 5.5/9 (-8%); #4. Fox 3.7/6 (-3%); #5. The CW 0.9/1 (+80%).
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 11.22 million (-9%); #2. NBC 9.07 million (-11%); #3. ABC 8.55 million (-9%); #4. Fox 6.14 million (-1%); #5. The CW 1.45 million (+86%).
Adults 18-49: #1. NBC 2.8/8 rating/share (-13%); #2. CBS 2.6/7 (-13%); #3. ABC 2.3/7 (-15%); #4. Fox 2.1/6 (-5%); #5. The CW 0.6/2 (+100%).
It's a new season, and a new format to the weekly ratings report! It might be a bit more cleaner, but we are working on tweaking this and making it even better. So bare with us! Week 1 had NBC easily win the week in 18-49 with a 3.07 rating, followed by ABC's 2.29, CBS's 2.24 and Fox 2.22. In total viewers, CBS prevailed with 10.38 million, followed by NBC's 9.71, ABC's 7.99, and Fox's 6.09 million. Back to week 2, read our full night-by-night analysis followed by how the sitcoms did! GREAT showings are in BOLD. If they are in bold in both total viewers and 18-49, then it is very impressive.
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 11.22 million (-9%); #2. NBC 9.07 million (-11%); #3. ABC 8.55 million (-9%); #4. Fox 6.14 million (-1%); #5. The CW 1.45 million (+86%).
Adults 18-49: #1. NBC 2.8/8 rating/share (-13%); #2. CBS 2.6/7 (-13%); #3. ABC 2.3/7 (-15%); #4. Fox 2.1/6 (-5%); #5. The CW 0.6/2 (+100%).
It's a new season, and a new format to the weekly ratings report! It might be a bit more cleaner, but we are working on tweaking this and making it even better. So bare with us! Week 1 had NBC easily win the week in 18-49 with a 3.07 rating, followed by ABC's 2.29, CBS's 2.24 and Fox 2.22. In total viewers, CBS prevailed with 10.38 million, followed by NBC's 9.71, ABC's 7.99, and Fox's 6.09 million. Back to week 2, read our full night-by-night analysis followed by how the sitcoms did! GREAT showings are in BOLD. If they are in bold in both total viewers and 18-49, then it is very impressive.
| Week 2 (Sep. 30-Oct. 6) Analysis | |||||||||
| Last Sunday (Sep. 29) | (Week 1) | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | ||
| Title | Network | Time | Total Viewers | 18-49 Rtg | Notes | ||||
| 60 Minutes | CBS | 7:00PM | 10,674,000 | 10,674,000 | 1.37 | 1.37 | Season Prem | ||
| America's Funniest Videos | ABC | 7:00PM | 0 | 0.00 | Premieres 10/13/13 | ||||
| Once Upon a Time Journey | ABC | 7:00PM | 5,053,000 | 5,053,000 | 1.37 | 1.37 | Clip Show | ||
| Football Night in America | NBC | 7:30PM | 5,404,000 | 3,829,000 | 1,575,000 | 2.04 | 1.17 | 0.87 | |
| The OT | Fox | 7:30PM | 12,885,000 | 12,885,000 | 4.74 | 4.74 | |||
| The Amazing Race | CBS | 8:00PM | 8,616,000 | 8,616,000 | 2.01 | 2.01 | Season Prem | ||
| Once Upon a Time | ABC | 8:00PM | 8,519,000 | 8,519,000 | 2.64 | 2.64 | Season Prem | ||
| Football Night in America | NBC | 8:00PM | 11,359,000 | 9,758,000 | 1,601,000 | 4.11 | 3.36 | 0.75 | |
| The Simpsons | Fox | 8:00PM | 6,368,000 | 6,368,000 | 2.87 | 2.87 | Season Prem | ||
| Sunday Night Football | NBC | 8:20PM | 20,493,000 | 20,510,000 | (17,000) | 7.58 | 7.67 | (0.09) | |
| Bob's Burgers | Fox | 8:30PM | 4,475,000 | 4,475,000 | 2.16 | 2.16 | Season Prem | ||
| The Good Wife | CBS | 9:00PM | 9,149,000 | 9,149,000 | 1.47 | 1.47 | Season Prem | ||
| Revenge | ABC | 9:00PM | 8,106,000 | 8,106,000 | 2.35 | 2.35 | Season Prem | ||
| Family Guy | Fox | 9:00PM | 5,226,000 | 5,226,000 | 2.63 | 2.63 | Season Prem | ||
| American Dad! | Fox | 9:30PM | 4,320,000 | 4,320,000 | 2.11 | 2.11 | Season Prem | ||
| The Mentalist | CBS | 10:00PM | 9,697,000 | 9,697,000 | 1.58 | 1.58 | Season Prem | ||
| Betrayal | ABC | 10:00PM | 5,159,000 | 5,159,000 | 1.49 | 1.49 | Series Prem | ||
| Monday | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | |||
| Title | Network | Time | Total Viewers | 18-49 Rtg | Notes | ||||
| How I Met Your Mother | CBS | 8:00PM | 7,875,000 | 9,395,000 | (1,520,000) | 3.13 | 3.68 | (0.55) | |
| Dancing with the Stars | ABC | 8:00PM | 13,100,000 | 13,565,000 | (465,000) | 2.03 | 2.28 | (0.25) | |
| The Voice | NBC | 8:00PM | 14,119,000 | 14,983,000 | (864,000) | 4.66 | 5.05 | (0.39) | |
| Bones | Fox | 8:00PM | 7,257,000 | 6,743,000 | 514,000 | 2.24 | 1.90 | 0.34 | |
| We Are Men | CBS | 8:30PM | 6,607,000 | 6,607,000 | 2.02 | 2.02 | Series Prem | ||
| 2 Broke Girls | CBS | 9:00PM | 7,715,000 | 8,877,000 | (1,162,000) | 2.42 | 2.84 | (0.42) | |
| Sleep Hollow | Fox | 9:00PM | 7,967,000 | 8,586,000 | (619,000) | 3.01 | 3.13 | (0.12) | |
| Mom | CBS | 9:30PM | 7,005,000 | 7,980,000 | (975,000) | 2.17 | 2.52 | (0.35) | |
| Hostages | CBS | 10:00PM | 5,962,000 | 7,410,000 | (1,448,000) | 1.49 | 1.80 | (0.31) | |
| Castle | ABC | 10:00PM | 10,884,000 | 11,459,000 | (575,000) | 2.22 | 2.25 | (0.03) | |
| The Blacklist | NBC | 10:00PM | 11,348,000 | 12,583,000 | (1,235,000) | 3.29 | 3.83 | (0.54) | |
| Tuesday | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | |||
| Title | Network | Time | Total Viewers | 18-49 Rtg | Notes | ||||
| NCIS | CBS | 8:00PM | 19,978,000 | 20,002,000 | (24,000) | 3.52 | 3.58 | (0.06) | |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | ABC | 8:00PM | 8,662,000 | 12,121,000 | (3,459,000) | 3.26 | 4.70 | (1.44) | |
| The Biggest Loser | NBC | 8:00PM | 0 | 0.00 | Premieres 10/15 | ||||
| Dads | Fox | 8:00PM | 3,396,000 | 3,651,000 | (255,000) | 1.35 | 1.52 | (0.17) | |
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Fox | 8:30PM | 3,428,000 | 4,034,000 | (606,000) | 1.43 | 1.81 | (0.38) | |
| NCIS: Los Angeles | CBS | 9:00PM | 15,086,000 | 16,353,000 | (1,267,000) | 2.69 | 2.99 | (0.30) | |
| The Goldbergs | ABC | 9:00PM | 6,061,000 | 8,938,000 | (2,877,000) | 2.17 | 3.09 | (0.92) | |
| The Voice | NBC | 9:00PM | 14,539,000 | 14,351,000 | 188,000 | 4.49 | 4.68 | (0.19) | 2-Hr , 8-10P |
| New Girl | Fox | 9:00PM | 3,846,000 | 4,039,000 | (193,000) | 1.94 | 2.05 | (0.11) | |
| Trophy Wife | ABC | 9:30PM | 4,302,000 | 6,692,000 | (2,390,000) | 1.43 | 2.27 | (0.84) | |
| The Mindy Project | Fox | 9:30PM | 2,861,000 | 2,944,000 | (83,000) | 1.47 | 1.46 | 0.01 | |
| Person of Interest | CBS | 10:00PM | 12,347,000 | 12,438,000 | (91,000) | 2.05 | 2.28 | (0.23) | |
| Lucky 7 | ABC | 10:00PM | 2,623,000 | 4,427,000 | (1,804,000) | 0.74 | 1.25 | (0.51) | |
| Chicago Fire | NBC | 10:00PM | 8,743,000 | 8,899,000 | (156,000) | 2.64 | 2.67 | (0.03) | |
| Wednesday | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | |||
| Title | Network | Time | Total Viewers | 18-49 Rtg | Notes | ||||
| Survivor | CBS | 8:00PM | 10,156,000 | 9,536,000 | 620,000 | 2.70 | 2.43 | 0.27 | |
| The Middle | ABC | 8:00PM | 8,033,000 | 8,942,000 | (909,000) | 2.30 | 2.48 | (0.18) | |
| Back in the Game | ABC | 8:30PM | 6,712,000 | 8,015,000 | (1,303,000) | 1.90 | 2.24 | (0.34) | |
| Revolution | NBC | 8:00PM | 5,461,000 | 6,807,000 | (1,346,000) | 1.60 | 1.82 | (0.22) | |
| The X Factor | Fox | 8:00PM | 7,800,000 | 7,729,000 | 71,000 | 2.40 | 2.53 | (0.13) | |
| Criminal Minds | CBS | 9:00PM | 11,121,000 | 11,265,000 | (144,000) | 2.70 | 2.79 | (0.09) | |
| Modern Family | ABC | 9:00PM | 11,124,000 | 11,682,000 | (558,000) | 4.20 | 4.20 | 0.00 | |
| Law & Order: SVU | NBC | 9:00PM | 6,852,000 | 9,584,000 | (2,732,000) | 2.00 | 2.68 | (0.68) | |
| Super Fun Night | ABC | 9:30PM | 8,226,000 | 8,226,000 | 3.20 | 3.20 | Series Prem | ||
| CSI | CBS | 10:00PM | 9,657,000 | 9,118,000 | 539,000 | 2.10 | 2.04 | 0.06 | |
| Nashville | ABC | 10:00PM | 5,982,000 | 6,499,000 | (517,000) | 1.90 | 2.01 | (0.11) | |
| Ironside | NBC | 10:00PM | 6,814,000 | 6,814,000 | 1.30 | 1.30 | Series Prem | ||
| Thursday | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | |||
| Title | Network | Time | Total Viewers | 18-49 Rtg | Notes | ||||
| The Big Bang Theory | CBS | 8:00PM | 18,216,000 | 18,994,000 | (778,000) | 5.20 | 5.55 | (0.35) | |
| Scandal Secret's Out | ABC | 8:00PM | 5,753,000 | 4,684,000 | 1,069,000 | 1.60 | 1.20 | 0.40 | Clip Show vs. Shield Encore |
| Once Upon a Time in Wonderland | ABC | 8:00PM | 0 | 0.00 | Premieres 10/10/13 | ||||
| Parks & Recreation | NBC | 8:00PM | 3,142,000 | 3,270,000 | (128,000) | 1.20 | 1.27 | (0.07) | |
| The X Factor | Fox | 8:00PM | 7,126,000 | 6,471,000 | 655,000 | 2.00 | 2.08 | (0.08) | |
| The Vampire Diaries | CW | 8:00PM | 2,588,000 | 2,588,000 | 1.20 | 1.20 | Season Prem | ||
| The Millers | CBS | 8:30PM | 13,093,000 | 13,093,000 | 3.30 | 3.30 | Series Prem | ||
| Welcome to the Family | NBC | 8:30PM | 2,985,000 | 2,985,000 | 1.10 | 1.10 | Series Prem | ||
| The Crazy Ones | CBS | 9:00PM | 11,709,000 | 15,516,000 | (3,807,000) | 2.90 | 3.87 | (0.97) | |
| Grey's Anatomy | ABC | 9:00PM | 9,602,000 | 9,275,000 | 327,000 | 3.10 | 3.36 | (0.26) | |
| Sean Saves the World | NBC | 9:00PM | 4,428,000 | 4,428,000 | 1.40 | 1.40 | Series Prem | ||
| Glee | Fox | 9:00PM | 4,417,000 | 5,064,000 | (647,000) | 1.60 | 1.96 | (0.36) | |
| The Originals | CW | 9:00PM | 2,208,000 | 2,208,000 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |||
| Two and a Half Men | CBS | 9:30PM | 9,340,000 | 11,594,000 | (2,254,000) | 2.40 | 2.85 | (0.45) | |
| The Michael J. Fox Show | NBC | 9:30PM | 5,347,000 | 7,503,000 | (2,156,000) | 1.70 | 2.16 | (0.46) | |
| Elementary | CBS | 10:00PM | 9,379,000 | 10,183,000 | (804,000) | 2.00 | 2.09 | (0.09) | |
| Scandal | ABC | 10:00PM | 10,517,000 | 10,517,000 | 3.60 | 3.60 | Season Prem | ||
| Parenthood | NBC | 10:00PM | 4,168,000 | 5,056,000 | (888,000) | 1.50 | 1.63 | (0.13) | |
| Friday | (PRELIMINARY #s) | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | ||
| Title | Network | Time | Total Viewers | 18-49 Rtg | Notes | ||||
| Undercover Boss | CBS | 8:00PM | 7,630,000 | 8,223,000 | (593,000) | 1.40 | 1.56 | (0.16) | |
| Last Man Standing | ABC | 8:00PM | 6,220,000 | 5,729,000 | 491,000 | 1.40 | 1.22 | 0.18 | |
| The Michael J. Fox Show | NBC | 8:00PM | 3,290,000 | 4,068,000 | (778,000) | 0.80 | 0.76 | 0.04 | REPEAT |
| Junior Masterchef | Fox | 8:00PM | 3,920,000 | 4,289,000 | (369,000) | 1.30 | 1.62 | (0.32) | |
| Bones | Fox | 8:00PM | 0 | 0.00 | Moves 11/8/13 | ||||
| The Neighbors | ABC | 8:30PM | 4,160,000 | 4,064,000 | 96,000 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |
| Sean Saves the World | NBC | 8:30PM | 3,250,000 | 3,250,000 | 0.80 | 0.80 | REPEAT | ||
| Hawaii Five-0 | CBS | 9:00PM | 9,560,000 | 9,461,000 | 99,000 | 1.50 | 1.57 | (0.07) | |
| Shark Tank | ABC | 9:00PM | 6,350,000 | 6,944,000 | (594,000) | 1.80 | 2.00 | (0.20) | |
| Dateline | NBC | 9:00PM | 5,770,000 | 6,495,000 | (725,000) | 1.20 | 1.34 | (0.14) | 9-11P |
| Grimm | NBC | 9:00PM | 0 | 0.00 | Premieres 10/25/13 | ||||
| Sleep Hollow | Fox | 9:00PM | 2,230,000 | 2,708,000 | (478,000) | 0.70 | 0.86 | (0.16) | REPEAT |
| Raising Hope | Fox | 9:00PM | 0 | 0.00 | Premieres 11/8/13 | ||||
| Raising Hope | Fox | 9:30PM | 0 | 0.00 | Premieres 11/8/13 | ||||
| Blue Bloods | CBS | 10:00PM | 11,090,000 | 11,695,000 | (605,000) | 1.40 | 1.72 | (0.32) | |
| 20/20 | ABC | 10:00PM | 5,890,000 | 4,440,000 | 1,450,000 | 1.60 | 1.21 | 0.39 | |
| Elizabeth Smart Story | NBC | 10:00PM | 5,550,000 | 5,550,000 | 1.20 | 1.20 | SPECIAL | ||
| Dracula | NBC | 10:00PM | 0 | 0.00 | Premieres 10/25/13 | ||||
| Saturday | (PRELIMINARY #s) | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | This Wk | Prev Week | Wk-to-Wk +/- | ||
| Title | Network | Time | Total Viewers | 18-49 Rtg | Notes | ||||
| College Football | Fox | 7:00PM | 2,330,000 | 1,821,000 | 509,000 | 0.80 | 0.46 | 0.34 | |
| Comedytime | CBS | 8:00PM | 3,270,000 | 3,508,000 | (238,000) | 0.70 | 0.79 | (0.09) | REPEAT |
| Saturday Night Football | ABC | 8:00PM | 6,600,000 | 6,751,000 | (151,000) | 2.20 | 2.20 | 0.00 | |
| Notre Dame Football | NBC | 8:00PM | 3,240,000 | 3,240,000 | 0.80 | 0.80 | |||
| Chicago Fire | NBC | 8:00PM | 2,318,000 | (2,318,000) | 0.51 | (0.51) | preempted | ||
| Comedytime | CBS | 8:30PM | 2,900,000 | 3,408,000 | (508,000) | 0.60 | 0.75 | (0.15) | |
| Crimetime | CBS | 9:00PM | 2,860,000 | 3,663,000 | (803,000) | 0.50 | 0.70 | (0.20) | REPEAT |
| The Blacklist | NBC | 9:00PM | 3,869,000 | (3,869,000) | 0.75 | (0.75) | preempted | ||
| 48 Hours Mystery | CBS | 10:00PM | 4,890,000 | 6,087,000 | (1,197,000) | 0.90 | 0.97 | (0.07) | |
| SNL | NBC | 10:00PM | 2,699,000 | (2,699,000) | 0.83 | (0.83) | preempted | ||
Sitcoms in green did excellent for the week, while yellow indicates OK showings and red is not good! This is sorted by adults 18-49:
| Week 2 (Sep. 30-Oct. 6) How the Sitcoms Did | ||||||
| (Sun comedies are previous week and Fri/Sat are prelim ratings) | ||||||
| Sorted by 18-49 Rtg | ||||||
| Title | Network | Time | Day | Total Viewers | 18-49 Rtg | Notes |
| The Big Bang Theory | CBS | 8:00PM | Thur | 18,216,000 | 5.2 | |
| Modern Family | ABC | 9:00PM | Wed | 11,124,000 | 4.2 | |
| The Millers | CBS | 8:30PM | Thur | 13,093,000 | 3.3 | Series Prem |
| Super Fun Night | ABC | 9:30PM | Wed | 8,226,000 | 3.2 | Series Prem |
| How I Met Your Mother | CBS | 8:00PM | Mon | 7,875,000 | 3.13 | |
| The Crazy Ones | CBS | 9:00PM | Thur | 11,709,000 | 2.9 | |
| The Simpsons | Fox | 8:00PM | Sun | 6,368,000 | 2.87 | Season Prem |
| Family Guy | Fox | 9:00PM | Sun | 5,226,000 | 2.63 | Season Prem |
| 2 Broke Girls | CBS | 9:00PM | Mon | 7,715,000 | 2.42 | |
| Two and a Half Men | CBS | 9:30PM | Thur | 9,340,000 | 2.4 | |
| The Middle | ABC | 8:00PM | Wed | 8,033,000 | 2.3 | |
| The Goldbergs | ABC | 9:00PM | Tues | 6,061,000 | 2.17 | |
| Mom | CBS | 9:30PM | Mon | 7,005,000 | 2.17 | |
| Bob's Burgers | Fox | 8:30PM | Sun | 4,475,000 | 2.16 | Season Prem |
| American Dad! | Fox | 9:30PM | Sun | 4,320,000 | 2.11 | Season Prem |
| We Are Men | CBS | 8:30PM | Mon | 6,607,000 | 2.02 | Series Prem |
| New Girl | Fox | 9:00PM | Tues | 3,846,000 | 1.94 | |
| Back in the Game | ABC | 8:30PM | Wed | 6,712,000 | 1.9 | |
| The Michael J. Fox Show | NBC | 9:30PM | Thur | 5,347,000 | 1.7 | |
| The Mindy Project | Fox | 9:30PM | Tues | 2,861,000 | 1.47 | |
| Trophy Wife | ABC | 9:30PM | Wed | 4,302,000 | 1.43 | |
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Fox | 8:30PM | Tues | 3,428,000 | 1.43 | |
| Last Man Standing | ABC | 8:00PM | Fri | 6,220,000 | 1.4 | |
| Sean Saves the World | NBC | 9:00PM | Thur | 4,428,000 | 1.4 | Series Prem |
| Dads | Fox | 8:00PM | Tues | 3,396,000 | 1.35 | |
| Parks & Recreation | NBC | 8:00PM | Thur | 3,142,000 | 1.2 | |
| Welcome to the Family | NBC | 8:30PM | Thur | 2,985,000 | 1.1 | Series Prem |
| The Neighbors | ABC | 8:30PM | Fri | 4,160,000 | 1 | |
| The Michael J. Fox Show | NBC | 8:00PM | Fri | 3,290,000 | 0.8 | REPEAT |
| Sean Saves the World | NBC | 8:30PM | Fri | 3,250,000 | 0.8 | REPEAT |
| The Millers | CBS | 8:00PM | Sat | 3,270,000 | 0.7 | REPEAT |
| We Are Men | CBS | 8:30PM | Sat | 2,900,000 | 0.6 | REPEAT |
| The Simpsons | Fox | 7:30PM | Sun | preempted | ||
| American Dad! | Fox | 7:00PM | Sun | preempted | ||
| Raising Hope | Fox | 9:00PM | Fri | Premieres 11/8 | ||
| Raising Hope | Fox | 9:30PM | Fri | Premieres 11/8 | ||
SOURCE: Nielsen Media Research
Saturday, October 05, 2013
Digital Digest: Hazel Wrapping Up on DVD and More Shout! News; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - Season 3 DVD Review
We're back once again with yet another edition of Digital Digest. This week, we've got a review of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - Season 3. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
Three weeks ago, we mentioned that the fifth (and final) season of Hazel would be coming to DVD soon, and now, it appears that Hazel - The Complete Fifth Season has been tentatively confirmed for a January 14 release. The set will complete yet another series on DVD (we're always glad to see that happen!), and will come at a $34.93 MSRP.
TVShowsOnDVD.com came across another very interesting piece of news from Shout! Factory this week, and it isn't a show that we'd normally cover... but it is news for another reason! Apparently, Shout! Factory will be releasing the series NYPD Blue, beginning with NYPD Blue - Season Five. While this doesn't seem that big, it marks a new release of a series that Shout! Factory has never released before from the 20th Century Fox library, and considering that we haven't seen any Fox releases from Shout! Factory in quite some time, this gives us hope that perhaps some other series from the studio are on the way. We'll keep an eye on it!
That isn't all of the news from Shout! Factory for this week! Two more releases are in store for January, although these are just season releases of series for which we've already seen the complete series. On January 7, we'll get to see Barney Miller - The Complete Fourth Season. Then, a week later, on January 14, they'll follow up on Dobie Gillis with Dobie Gillis - Season Two.
DIGITAL NEWS
Three weeks ago, we mentioned that the fifth (and final) season of Hazel would be coming to DVD soon, and now, it appears that Hazel - The Complete Fifth Season has been tentatively confirmed for a January 14 release. The set will complete yet another series on DVD (we're always glad to see that happen!), and will come at a $34.93 MSRP.
TVShowsOnDVD.com came across another very interesting piece of news from Shout! Factory this week, and it isn't a show that we'd normally cover... but it is news for another reason! Apparently, Shout! Factory will be releasing the series NYPD Blue, beginning with NYPD Blue - Season Five. While this doesn't seem that big, it marks a new release of a series that Shout! Factory has never released before from the 20th Century Fox library, and considering that we haven't seen any Fox releases from Shout! Factory in quite some time, this gives us hope that perhaps some other series from the studio are on the way. We'll keep an eye on it!
That isn't all of the news from Shout! Factory for this week! Two more releases are in store for January, although these are just season releases of series for which we've already seen the complete series. On January 7, we'll get to see Barney Miller - The Complete Fourth Season. Then, a week later, on January 14, they'll follow up on Dobie Gillis with Dobie Gillis - Season Two.
CBS announced this week that they will be expanding their full-episode streaming app to even more users. The iOS app has been available for quite a while now, but now, it is also available for Android and Windows 8. And that isn't all. They'll follow up later this year with a Blackberry app. The app allows fans of CBS series to enjoy full episodes of all entertainment series on the CBS lineup within eight days of their original airing, as well as viewing of episodes of several vintage TV series such as Perry Mason and Star Trek.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (October 8) is a slow day for releases, but there is one sitcom release of note, as Warner Home Video finally brings fans The Middle - The Complete Third Season. Also, New Video Group gets the entire run of Inspector Gadget in one megaset in Inspector Gadget - Megaset.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - Season 3 (Shout! Factory, $19.93)
by Pavan
Back to the Command Center we go! Following its debut in 1993 (hence why the MSRP is $19.93!), Saban's iconic live-action pop culture series, Power Rangers quickly became the most watched children's television program in North America and Shout! Factory is releasing each season on DVD. We are now into the third season of the original series and we get them all on one set this time!
In season three, as the battle rages on, the Power Rangers are forced to go on a quest to seek out the fabled master ninja, Ninjor. Ninjor teaches them the art of Ninja, giving them new powers and abilities, as well as joining the team himself. Assisted by their new Ninjazords, the superheroes are ready to do battle with Lord Zedd and Rita... but the forces of evil are also reinforced as Rita's brother Rito Revolto and her father Master Vile arrive on the Moon! .
Starring Steve Cardenas as Rocky the Red Ranger, Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam the Black Ranger, Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly the Pink Ranger, Karan Ashley as Aisha the Yellow Ranger, David Yost as Billy the Blue Ranger and Jason David Frank as Tommy the Green Ranger. Catherine Sutherland replaces Amy Jo Johnson later in the season as Katherine the Pink Ranger. Among the most memorable episodes from the third season include the three-part premiere, "A Friend in Need," where Alpha's birthplanet Edenoi is under attack by a spaceship under command of Count Dregon, thus the Rangers (minus Kimberly who has the flu) teleport to Edenoi to find out what's going on, while Lord Zedd and Rita make a plan to invade planet Earth. In the four-part saga "Ninja Quest," Rito Revolto, the brother of Rita, pays a visit to Lord Zedd and Rita and plants some eggs nearby, after that Rito teleports to the planet Earth and lures the Rangers into a trap, but just when the Rangers think they get to destroy Rito, Rito gets help from four other monsters made by Lord Zedd. In "A Brush with Destiny"," Kimberly has been having nightmares about moving to Paris, while Finster creates a device that lets Rita and Zedd see the dreams of others, including Kimberly's nightmare, as Zedd creates a plan by making Artistmole, the monster in Kimberly's nightmare, real to destroy the Earth as well as the Rangers. In the Christmas episode, "I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger," on Christmas Eve, Zedd and Rita send their troops to the North Pole to capture Santa Claus and his elves, thus preventing Santa from delivering his Christmas presents, while Kimberly misses her parents, who won't be able to go come for Christmas. In the three-part episode "A Different Shade of Pink," Kimberly meets up with Gunther Schmidt, an international gymnast trainer, he offers Kimberly to coach her for the Pan Globals, because of this Kimberly no longer has time to fulfill her duties as a Ranger. The arc ends with Kimberly giving her pink power coin to Katherine.
Each episode on this set is just around 19-20 minutes on average, which seems on the short side but this is how it was originally. However, there are no "Today on Power Rangers" 30-second previews before each episode (if they even had these anymore originally). So it is missing that, but everything else is unedited and there (not much to edit, if anything, since the episodes are already 20 minutes). Runtimes are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "A Friend in Need, Part I" (19:08)
2. "A Friend in Need, Part II" (18:36)
3. "A Friend in Need, Part III" (19:55)
4. "Ninja Quest, Part I" (20:05)
5. "Ninja Quest, Part II" (20:04)
6. "Ninja Quest, Part III" (20:03)
7. "Ninja Quest, Part IV" (20:03)
8. "A Brush with Destiny" (20:04)
9. "Passing the Lantern" (20:05)
Disc 2:
10. "Wizard for a Day" (20:04)
11. "Fourth Down and Long" (20:03)
12. "Stop the Hate Master, Part I" (20:05)
13. "Stop the Hate Master, Part II" (20:05)
14. "Final Face-Off" (20:04)
15. "The Potion Notion" (20:05)
16. "I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger" (20:36)
17. "A Ranger Catastrophe, Part I" (19:46)
Disc 3:
18. "A Ranger Catastrophe, Part II" (20:06)
19. "Changing of the Zords, Part I" (20:05)
20. "Changing of the Zords, Part II" (20:07)
21. "Changing of the Zords, Part III" (20:07)
22. "Follow That Cab" (20:05)
23. "A Different Shade of Pink, Part I" (20:04)
24. "A Different Shade of Pink, Part II" (20:05)
25. "A Different Shade of Pink, Part III" (20:06)
Disc 4:
26. "Rita's Pita" (20:06)
27. "Another Brick in the Wall" (20:05)
28. "A Chimp in Charge" (20:05)
29. "Master Vile and the Metallic Armor, Part I" (20:04)
30. "Master Vile and the Metallic Armor, Part II" (19:35)
31. "Master Vile and the Metallic Armor, Part III" (20:05)
32. "The Sound of Dischordia" (20:05)
33. "Rangers in Reverse" (20:05)
Packaging is a snap case holding the discs inside, similar to the previous releases. The cover art of this season has all of the Power Rangers (Black, Yellow, Red, Pink, Blue and...White) with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers logo above them. The color scheme is grey/silver for this volume. The back of the case has a synopsis of the show, the set, and technical information. We also have a shot of Lord Zedd & Rita and another one with the rangers as ninjas. Inside the case, there is a disc-by-disc breakdown on the left panel, listing every episode on this set. The background is in dark grey. We just get episode titles, though. The discs don't overlap each other, which is great. We have two plastic holders in the middle. Discs one and two are on the first plastic holder, while discs three and four are on the second one. Artwork on the discs is in that grey/silver color scheme, with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers logo and whatever disc number it is on the disc. This is all similar to previous releases. The disc-by-disc breakdown is available in the above section in episode runtimes, but basically we have about 8-9 episodes on each disc. This is the first season the season isn't broken up into two volumes!
As for the menus, the main menu is very cool and similarly designed to previous sets. We have the addicting theme song playing in the background, and we have the logo then we enter the Command Center! Instead of where we see Zordon, we have clips playing in the background! Very cool! The main menu options are: Play All and Select Episode. No subtitles, but the DVD is closed-captioned. When we select the Select Episode option, we have a cool transition into that submenu with the alarm sound for the command center playing in the background. The episode number and titles are listed inside that option. Pretty easy to navigate and nicely designed, I think. It's basic but cool...and consistent to previous releases.
The video quality is decent and on par with the previous season sets. It's not great, but not terrible either. It is certainly better than VHS and any episode you might have recorded originally on Fox Kids or in reruns. I noticed some episodes started with the TVY7 rating...weird, maybe those were recorded from TV? I hope not. The audio quality is also good, that is crisp and clear. No problems here at all once again. The series had to be pretty cheap to produce as it looks very cheap, but hey, everyone loved watching it! There are once again 6 chapter stops for every episode, counting the opening and closing credits stops. All of the multiple part episodes have the "To Be Continued" line at the end of each episode, but once again we don't have any of those "Previously on Power Rangers" recap at the start of the next episode, just like we don't have the "Today on Power Rangers" preview on every other episode. I always liked those, so I'm disappointed.
We have zero special features once again. The complete seasons 1-3 release has special features from Time Life. But these individual releases that Shout! released didn't have those. As mentioned before, that complete series has new interviews with the cast, casting director, fans, plus all the direct to video specials that were released. I don't think the original pilot episodes was included, which is a shame. In 1999, Fox Kids aired an original unaired pilot episode hosted by Austin St. John (Jason the Red Ranger) and Walter Emanuel Jones (Zack the Black Ranger). It is on YouTube even, as we mentioned last time. This pilot had a different yellow ranger and some other plot changes. We also had another unaired pilot episode but it has never been seen, so that would have been nice, too. Anyway, nothing on this set at all!
That's a wrap for the original series on DVD. The third season was cool but not as good as the first two seasons. It's goodbye to the original series and three quarters into the season we said goodbye to Kimberly. She was my favorite. I highly do recommend any fan of the show to pick-up this set, because the episodes are so good and addictive. It's cheesy fun. If you've never watched it, then please do try it, especially if you watch the new series. Die-hards might want to go for the complete series set. The only thing missing on this set are the previews before each episode, but that's not a big deal. Everything else is pretty well done on this set. My only other gripe again was no bonus features, but that is probably exclusive for the complete series set from Time Life. Anyway, it's Morphin Time with the new Pink ranger..and no need for us to go to the Command Center and buy this DVD because we have a link below for you to order. Hurry before Rita and even brother Rito come get you!
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers on TV.com
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Nelson Franklin (Twitter), "I don't drink enough water"
Claim to Fame: The name may not seem all that familiar, but Nelson Franklin is an up-and-rising comedian who got his start as Nick, the IT guy on The Office. In 2011, he got a starring role of his own in the Fox series Traffic Light, but unfortunately, that didn't work out too well and it was quickly cancelled. Last season, he made appearances on the Fox series New Girl, but now, he is back in a starring role as Adam on the new CBS comedy, The Millers.
Pick of the Tweets: "Everyone keeps talking about some show called breaking bread? With the dad from Malcolm in the middle? I liked that show so I'll try it." (August 19, 2013)
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Friday, October 04, 2013
The Hub October 2013 Schedule with Step by Step; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 7, 2013)
We already told you about Step by Step coming to The Hub on Oct. 7, but now we can give you the full schedule for The Hub. Step by Step will air Mon-Fri at 7-8pm ET/4-5pm PT & encores Mon-Thu 2-3am ET/11pm-12am PT. The series will begin with the very first episode and go in order. Animation fans will see Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures each move back an hour as a result, airing 5-6pm and 6-7pm, respectively. Step by Step will lead into a Movie in primetime at 8pm. From 10pm-12am, sitcom blocks will remain, with Happy Days on Mondays, Laverne & Shirley on Tuesdays, Mork & Mindy on Wednesdays, and ALF on Thursdays. In late night, an encore of the primetime movie will air at midnight leading into the Step by Step encore from 2-3am. The sitcom block encores will now shift from 2-4am to 3-5am. Sliders will be off of the Mon-Thurs line-up, as well as Hercules which will be replaced by an episode each of Family Ties and Sabrina the Teenage Witch from 5-6am.
On Fridays, Step by Step will air 7-8pm as we mentioned, but not in late night. A movie will air in primetime still at 8pm, leading into Family Game Night. Back-to-back episodes of Hercules will follow. Then it is two-hours of Lois & Clark from 1-3am, followed by a double shot of Happy Days from 3-4am. Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy will fill the 4-5am hour into Sliders at 5am. On Saturday nights, Lois & Clark will air from 1-3am into Hercules at 3am, and that's all we need to know for that night. And finally on Sundays, after the primetime movie at 8, sitcoms will air from about 10pm-3:30am. Step by Step starts it off in the 10pm hour, then ALF at 11, Happy Days at midnight, Laverne & Shirley at 1, Mork & Mindy at 2, and a single episode of Family Ties at 3am. That about covers it TV series/sitcom wise. Remember this all starts Monday (October 7)!
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 Oct. 7-11, 2013, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!
Monday, October 7, 2013
- Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Watch Tom on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. He will also talk about his new film Captain Phillips on NBC's Today between 7-9am. Later, he will be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) - D.L. appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- The Cast of Modern Family - The Modern Family cast will be guests on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Zooey visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Tracy Morgan (30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tune in to see Tracy on a repeat of Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell at 11pm on FXX.
- Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Drew chats on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Miley will be on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
- Vivica A. Fox (Mr. Box Office) - Vivica talks about her new film It's Not You, It's Me on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
- Tatyana Ali (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Tatyana discusses topical issues on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
- Connie Britton (Spin City/The Fighting Fitzgeralds/Lost at Home) - Connie will be a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
- Lily Tomlin (Malibu Country) - Lily is a guest on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 between 7-9am.
- Clark Gregg (The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Clark creates the ultimate sub sandwich with Michael Symon on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
- Malin Akerman (Chelsea Lately) - Malin is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Billy Crystal (Soap) - Catch Billy on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah stops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS. She will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Miley visits Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Lisa Kudrow (Web Therapy/The Comeback/Friends) - Lisa appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Sarah is a guest on a repeat of Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell at 11pm on FXX.
- James Caan (Back in the Game) - James drops by The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
- Jason Biggs (Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason will be a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
- Suzanne Somers (Three's Company/Step by Step) - Suzanne discusses her new book on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Christina Applegate (Up All Night/Samantha Who?/Married with Children) - Christina is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Connie Britton (Spin City/The Fighting Fitzgeralds/Lost at Home) - Connie is a guest on New York Live at 12:30pm on WNBC-NY.
- Kevin Nealon (Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Kevin is part of the guest panel on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
- George Segal (The Goldbergs/Retired at 35/Just Shoot Me!) - George gives the behind-the-scenes scoop on his new show on Home & Family at 10am on Hallmark Channel.
- Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Watch Whitney on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Sean Hayes (Sean Saves the World/Will & Grace) - Sean is a guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom continues to make the rounds on The Colbert Report at 11:30pm on Comedy Central.
- Margo Martindale (The Millers) - Margo visits The Aresenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
- Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael will be a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
- Sophia Vergara (Modern Family) - Sophia is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) - Mario appears on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
- Kimberly Williams-Paisley (According to Jim) - Kimberly guests on The Better Show, so check your local listings. The show will be rebroadcast on Thursday on Hallmark Channel at 12pm.
- Willie Garson (Sex and the City/Ask Harriet) - Willie talks about White Collar on The Couch between 7-9am on WLNY-TV 10/55 in New York.
- Ana Gasteyer (Suburgatory) - Ana will talk about her funny solo concert (Elegant Songs from a Handsome Woman) coming up as well as filming for ABC's Suburgatory on The Couch between 7-9am on WLNY-TV 10/55 in New York.
- Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Catch Kunal on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Jennifer Aniston (Friends) - Jennifer appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Paul Scheer (The League) - Paul is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Chris Rock (Everybody Hates Chris) - Tune in to see Chris on a repeat of Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell at 11pm on FXX.
- Marcia Gay Harden (Trophy Wife) - Marcia visits The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
- Tim Allen (Home Improvement/Last Man Standing) - Tim stops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Mike O'Malley (Welcome to the Family/Yes, Dear) - Mike appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Kim Coles (Living Single/10 Items or Less) - Kim is a guest on New York Live at 12:30pm on WNBC-NY.
- Willie Garson (Sex and the City/Ask Harriet) - Willie chats on New York Live at 12:30pm on WNBC-NY.
- Scott Baio (See Dad Run/Charles in Charge/Happy Days) and Ryan Newman (See Dad Run) - Scott and Ryan talk about balancing a career and avoiding child star pitfalls on Katie, so check your local listings.
- Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) - Margaret performs and shares news about her comedy tour on Home & Family at 10am on Hallmark Channel. She will also be part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains) - Kirk appears on a rebroadcast of The Better Show at 1pm on Hallmark Channel.
- Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Jennifer is a guest on Big Morning Buzz Live with Carrie Keegan on VH1 at 10am.
- Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Watch Michael on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Will Arnett (The Millers/Arrested Development) - Will appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation/The Office) - Tune in to see Rashida on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Miley is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Kim Coles (Living Single/10 Items or Less) - Kim discusses topical issues on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
- Jason Priestley (Call Me Fitz) - Jason drops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Jenny McCarthy (Two and a Half Men/Jenny) - Jenny will be part of a football event with Erik Estrada on The Better Show, so check your local listings.
- Vanessa Lachey (Dads) - Vanessa appears on a rebroadcast of The Better Show at 1pm on Hallmark Channel.
- Shawn and Marlon Wayans (The Wayans Bros.) - Shawn and Marlon will dish about their new projects on The Couch between 7-9am on WLNY-TV 10/55 in New York.
Thursday, October 03, 2013
NBC Fall Pilot Review: Sean Saves the World - Premieres Tonight; Instant Mom Premieres Strong on Nick at Nite
Sean Saves the World - Thursdays at 9:00PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 9:00PM ET/PT
by Skees
This season, NBC has two sitcoms on their Thursday night lineup with stars from past hits on their Thursday night lineup. The latest is Sean Saves the World, a sitcom starring Sean Hayes as a divorced father (who also happens to be gay) dealing with raising a teenage daughter, a busy work life, and a meddling mother who just can't stay out of his life.
Cast Details:
Sean Hayes as SeanLinda Lavin as Lorna
Samantha Isler as Ellie
Thomas Lennon as Max
Megan Hilty as Liz
Echo Kellum as Hunter
Vik Sahay as Howard
Sean Hayes (Sean) is best known for his role as Jack in the series Will & Grace. He also serves as executive producer for the series, and is also as an executive producer of popular series including Grimm, Hot in Cleveland, and The Soul Man.
Linda Lavin (Lorna) is best known for her role as Alice in the popular TV series Alice, which ran from 1976 until 1985 on CBS. She began her career on Broadway, and has appeared in other series including Barney Miller, Conrad Bloom, and Room for Two.
Samantha Isler (Ellie) was born in Tulsa, OK, and has appeared in roles in the films Home Run and No One Knows.
Samantha Isler (Ellie) was born in Tulsa, OK, and has appeared in roles in the films Home Run and No One Knows.
Thomas Lennon (Max) is a comedian and writer who is best known for his role as Lieutenant Jim Dangle in the series Reno 911. He has appeared in cameo appearances in several films.
Megan Hilty (Liz) is a stage and television actress who most recently starred in the series Smash. She has had guest roles in Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Louie, and Eli Stone.
Echo Kellum (Hunter) most recently appeared as a regular on the Fox series Ben and Kate. He is a graduate of The Groundlings, I.O. West, and the Upright Citizens Brigade.
Vik Sahay (Howard) is best known for playing Lester Patel in the NBC series Chuck. He has also appeared in series such as NCIS and Bones.
Pilot Plot:
"Pilot" (airs Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 9:00PM ET/PT)
In the pilot episode, we meet Sean (Sean Hayes), a divorced dad who is busy at life with his career and with his constantly interfering mother, Lorna (Linda Lavin). Things get even more complicated now that he has full custody of his daughter, Ellie (Samantha Isler), especially since she has just started high school and is growing up. In the pilot, we get a glimpse into Sean's life, and some of the complications that arise as he tries to juggle all of this, including having to go out of his way to ensure he is spending time with his daughter.
"Busted" (airs Thursday, October 10, 2013 at 9:00 ET/PT)
In the second episode of the series, Sean has to face facts when he realizes that his daughter is growing up, and like many single sitcom fathers before him, he faces the problem that Ellie needs a bra. So this leaves him to have to turn to one of the women in his life: mother Lorna or friend Liz (Megan Hilty). Unfortunately, chaos ensues when he decides to let both of them take part in this experience.
"Date Expectations" (airs Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 9:00 ET/PT)
Sean has been out of the dating pool for quite some time, and now it is time for him to reenter it, when he is set up on a blind date with a periodontist. But if he wasn't already a wreck in preparing for this date, the timing couldn't be worse, as Ellie goes to a party and loses her cell phone along the way (it doesn't help that he is tracking her by GPS) and Lorna barges in on the date over her concern when she can't get in touch with Ellie. Meanwhile, back at the office, some classic commercials featuring Sean and Lorna in bed with one another... literally... cause embarrassment at both work and home for Sean.
Analysis:
It feels like broken relationships have been a huge theme in some of this season's newest sitcoms, whether they be broken engagements, divorces, separations, or (in this case) the child from a marriage that was never meant to be. I don't doubt at all that such an arrangement for a sitcom is not viable. The idea behind this sitcom is very much workable, but for some reason, it just doesn't seem to work here.
Perhaps a lot of my criticism is fueled from the pilot episode. I've watched a lot of pilot episodes where we are slowly and subtly explained what the background is, and why we are where we are... but somehow, this one just felt incredibly forced. It all started father-daughter conversation where both participants in the conversation knew exactly what was going on, but felt the need to just verbally explain it to one another. From that point on, the pilot seemed to drag on and was not at all the most exciting thing to sit through. It didn't help that there really weren't any big laughs in it. About the only redeeming quality was seeing Linda Lavin on TV, but that alone is a novelty that couldn't possibly get a viewer through an entire season.
The second episode, "Busted," did get a little bit better, with the traditional father-daughter moment of a single father trying to get a bra for his daughter (Punky Brewster and Who's the Boss? both did this), but it still didn't seem to be all that well written as some of those series were when they handled the topic.
"Date Expectations" is a dating episode, something that I imagine that this series will try a lot, where Sean goes on a date after being "out of the pool" for quite some time, and of course, in typical sitcom fashion, everything goes wrong. Honestly, this episode wasn't bad and did provide a few laughs, but not enough to compensate for the lack thereof in the previous two.
Finally, the real problem is that this show is pretty much the "odd guy" in the room. NBC has made a reputation for itself in the past decade (particularly when series such as Scrubs and The Office were an integral part of the network) as a network of single-camera sitcoms. I would love to see them get into more multi-camera sitcoms, as this one is, but the problem is that they tend to not fit in at all when they are completely surrounded by single-camera sitcoms. It would take a really good sitcom to break that barrier, and I'm not sure that this one fits that criteria.
There is one positive among all of this, though. The casting of the series is mostly well done, and even Sean Hayes comes off as a character who is likeable in this series.
Can Sean save the world, or even the NBC Thursday night lineup? I don't think so. I really wanted to like this show, especially given that it brings Linda Lavin back to TV in a regular role, but this show feels too "forced" and has the same feeling that a long string of unsuccessful NBC sitcoms of the late 90s had (remember, NBC may have been a powerhouse back then, but the strengths were in a few memorable sitcoms, and the rest is now an afterthought). That being said, this is airing on NBC, after all. I expect them to give it a while to try to make it more enjoyable, and who knows, maybe the fortunes of this series could change. Unfortunately, I don't see it saving anything.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 2/5
Overall: 2.5/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 9:00PM ET/PT on our message board.
Related Links:
Preview:
Nick at Nite's brand-new, live-action family comedy, Instant Mom, had a strong debut on Sunday, Sept, 29, at 8:30 pm (ET/PT), bringing in over a million total viewers and raising both A18-49 and K6-11 viewing levels double digits over last year on a competitive night of broadcast network premieres (CBS's Amazing Race, ABC's One Upon a Time, NBC's airing of Sunday Night Football). The new series, starring and produced by Tia Mowry-Hardrict, drew 1.3 million total viewers and was a strong co-viewing draw with audiences. With Adults 18-49, Instant Mom was up over +12% in delivery, averaging a 0.3 rating/351,000 viewers; and with K6-11, it was up +18% (2.6 rating/518,000 viewers). With Women 18-49, gains were +25% in rating and +13% in delivery (0.5/278,000 viewers). Additionally, Instant Mom's launch on NickMom that same night at 10 pm was the block's highest-rated premiere ever with W18-49 and total viewers. Instant Mom is a multi-camera, scripted half-hour series features Mowry-Hardrict as Stephanie, a party girl who trades in Cosmos for carpools when she marries Charlie (Michael Boatman, Spin City), who already has three kids. Sheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha) stars as Stephanie's mother Maggie, and rounding out the cast are Charlie's three kids played by Sydney Park (CSI: NY), Tylen Williams and Damarr Calhoun. Instant Mom airs on Nick at Nite Sundays at 8:30 pm and on the NickMom comedy block on the Nick Jr. channel at 10pm. Instant Mom is executive-produced by Howard Michael Gould and Aaron Kaplan.
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
CBS Fall Pilot Review: The Millers - Premieres October 3; NBC Fall Pilot Review: Welcome to the Family - Premieres October 3
The Millers - Thursdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 8:30PM ET/PT
by Skees
Nathan Miller (Will Arnett) is a rising news journalist who just so happens to have just ended his marriage and is adjusting to the single life, but he won't have a whole lot of adjusting to do when a new lady moves in with him. Unfortunately, that new lady is his mother, Carol (Margo Martindale), and she is being forced to adjust to a new life too as Nathan's divorce makes his father, Tom (Beau Bridges) realize that leaving his wife could actually be fun. In the CBS sitcom The Millers, it is all about getting along and making the best of the situation.
Cast Details:
Will Arnett as Nathan MillerBeau Bridges as Tom Miller
Margo Martindale as Carol Miller
J.B. Smoove as Ray
Jayma Mays as Debbie
Nelson Franklin as Adam
Eve Moon as Mikayla
Will Arnett (Nathan Miller) is a Canadian born comedian who is best known for his work in sitcoms including Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Running Wilde, and most recently Up All Night. He has also had many roles in films, including RV, Blades of Glory, and Semi-Pro.
Beau Bridges (Tom Miller) is a well-known American actor who was born into show-business as the son of legendary actor Lloyd Bridges. Beau Bridges, in fact, had his first acting role at the age of seven in an uncredited role in the form Force of Evil, and made his sitcom debut in 1960 in the sitcom My Three Sons. In more recent years, he has appeared in series including The Agency, Stargate SG-1, and My Name is Earl, along with guest starring roles among several series.
Margo Martindale (Carol Miller) is an American film, stage, and television actress best known for her supporting roles in films including The Hours, Million Dollar Baby, and Lorenzo's Oil. Making her debut in 1980s at the Actors Theater of Louisville, she went on to supporting roles in movies as well as roles in TV series, including The Riches, Justified, Mercy, and A Gifted Man.
J.B. Smoove (Ray) is a stand-up comedian who got his start on Def Comedy Jam. He has had roles in series including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Til Death and Everybody Hates Chris. He has also appeared in films including Date Night, Mr. Deeds, and The Dictator.
Jayma Mays (Debbie) made her debut in the series Joey, and since then, she has most notably appeared in the role of Emma Pillsbury in the series Glee. Other credits include multiple episodes of Heroes and Ugly Betty.
Nelson Franklin (Adam) is perhaps best known for his short stint on The Office as Nick, the "graphic design guy," but he previously starred in the short-lived Fox series Traffic Light (which, coincidentally, served as a replacement for Will Arnett's Running Wilde). More recently, he has appeared in a few episodes of the Fox series New Girl.
Eve Moon (Mikayla) is a child actress who makes her TV series debut in this series. She has previously had a career in commercials, appearing in spots for products including Kraft Cheese, Eggo Waffles, and Humana.
Nelson Franklin (Adam) is perhaps best known for his short stint on The Office as Nick, the "graphic design guy," but he previously starred in the short-lived Fox series Traffic Light (which, coincidentally, served as a replacement for Will Arnett's Running Wilde). More recently, he has appeared in a few episodes of the Fox series New Girl.
Eve Moon (Mikayla) is a child actress who makes her TV series debut in this series. She has previously had a career in commercials, appearing in spots for products including Kraft Cheese, Eggo Waffles, and Humana.
Pilot Plot:
In the pilot, we meet Nathan Miller (Will Arnett), a rising news journalist who just went through a divorce. Everybody is aware of the divorce, except his own parents, the constantly befuddled father Tom (Beau Bridges) and overbearing mother Carol (Margo Martindale). As it turns out, a mishap at Tom and Carol's home (thanks to Tom) leaves their basement flooded, and they're about to head in to town to stay with Nathan's sister Debbie (Jayma Mays) and her husband Adam (Nelson Franklin).
Things do not go quite as planned, however. Upon arriving in town, Carol quickly gets into an argument with Debbie over some home-decorating disagreements and Tom and Carol end up at Nathan's home, which forces him to reveal the reason why his wife isn't there. Unfortunately for Carol, the news of this divorce gives Tom the idea that maybe it is time for him to let go of his wife as well, which lands him in the home of Debbie and Adam, while Nathan is stuck with his mother... with no end in sight.
Things do not go quite as planned, however. Upon arriving in town, Carol quickly gets into an argument with Debbie over some home-decorating disagreements and Tom and Carol end up at Nathan's home, which forces him to reveal the reason why his wife isn't there. Unfortunately for Carol, the news of this divorce gives Tom the idea that maybe it is time for him to let go of his wife as well, which lands him in the home of Debbie and Adam, while Nathan is stuck with his mother... with no end in sight.
Analysis:
Once again, CBS has given us another sitcom with proven stars (particularly Will Arnett and Beau Bridges) with a sitcom veteran (Greg Garcia) behind it. However, unlike a lot of the other sitcoms out there that we have seen filled with stars this season, this one is pretty decent, although maybe a bit short on laughs (at least so far). The pilot was enjoyable to watch, and had a plot that gave a good introduction to the characters and the background without being too boring.
There weren't a whole lot of laugh out loud funny moments in the pilot, although there was one great moment at the end where Nathan is having a party while his mother is upstairs sleeping... or at least until she comes down in her night gown. Reminding him of his wedding, where she insisted that he do some "dirty dancing" with his bride to the song "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life," she believes that his party would be "livened up" a bit if he relives that moment in his own living room. Nathan, being the good son that he is, lets her have that moment, and it certainly gets a little weird.
One thing that I'm not so sure about with this series is the casting of J.B. Smoove in the role of Ray, Nathan's coworker and friend who seems to always be there for... everything. I feel that the producers probably do have something in mind for his role to make him a character with more dimension on the series, but from what I saw in the pilot, he just seemed to be there to comment on anything and everything, with no real reason for always being there (in other words, I feel that it needs to be explained a bit better why he is part of Nathan's home life and personal life) and with no real problems that he is dealing with on his own. It remains to be seen if they can expand his character and explain why he is around as often as he does.
This isn't a bad show, and I could see it having some room for growth without making a whole lot of changes. It seems to be a good fit for the CBS lineup of sitcoms and is very much similar to the style of sitcom that we see there. While it could use a few tweaks here and there, it is still a sitcom that is decent to watch and very much workable. It also helps that it is airing right after The Big Bang Theory, as that series is about the best lead-in that a sitcom could possible have. I think, though, that having the bigger name stars could work against it. Having those bigger names, even if they aren't all that huge, means that the show really does have a higher standard to be successful, because better known actors can't afford to stick around in a series if anything better comes along. I'm hopeful that this series can survive, and I'm hopeful that we'll see a lot of good things come from it. This is certainly a show that sitcom fans should take a look into.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, October 3 30, 2013 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.
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Preview:
Welcome to the Family - Thursdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 8:30PM ET/PT
by Vincent
Welcome to the Family is a new family comedy that explores the cultural clash when Junior, the son of a Latino family, and Molly, from a Caucasian family, begin dating. The plot thickens when Molly discovers that she is pregnant and Junior asks for her hand in marriage. The series follows both families dealing with their differences as they are forced to join together as a blended family.
Cast Details:
Mike O'Malley as Dan Yoder
Mary McCormack as Caroline Yoder
Ricardo Chavira as Miguel Hernandez
Justina Machado as Lisette Hernandez
Ella Rae Peck as Molly Yoder
Joey Haro as Junior Hernandez
Fabrizio Guido as Demetrio Hernandez
Mike O'Malley (Dan Yoder) is well-known for his television work, particularly his leading role on Yes, Dear and his recurring role on My Name is Earl. He can also currently be seen in a recurring role on Glee as Kurt Hummel's father. He has also guest starred on popular shows such as Justified, Parenthood, and Parks and Recreation.
Mary McCormack (Caroline Yoder) is perhaps best known for her time spent as Kate Harper on The West Wing. She also starred as Mary Shannon on the series In Plain Sight. She has also appeared in a handful of films, including Miracle on 34th Street, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, and Full Frontal.
Ricardo Chavira (Miguel Hernandez) is best known for his role on Desperate Housewives as Carlos Solis, playing Eva Longoria's husband. He also has a long list of guest roles on shows such as George Lopez, 24, Six Feet Under, JAG, and NYPD Blue.
Justina Machado (Lisette Hernandez) is known for her role as Vanessa on Six Feet Under. She also starred as Sunny in the short-lived drama series Missing. Recently, she had a recurring role on Private Practice. She has guest starred in a long list of shows, including Ugly Betty, Cold Case, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and Body of Proof.
Ella Rae Peck (Molly Yoder) has guest starred in several shows, including Without a Trace, Law & Order, The Good Wife, and Gossip Girl. Her first starring role came this past winter on NBC's Deception.
Joey Haro (Junior Hernandez) is best known for his recurring roles on Awkward and Glee. Welcome to the Family is his first starring role in a series.
Fabrizio Guido (Demetrio Hernandez) made his big screen debut opposite Brad Pitt in the summer blockbuster World War Z. He discovered his love of acting at a young age, landing small parts in a variety of film and television projects, including several TV movies. One of his early roles was playing Drew McNeil on Grey's Anatomy.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 2.5/5
Funniness: 1.5/5
Overall: 2/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.
Related Links:
NBC.com Official Site
TV.com
epguides.com
Internet Movie Database
Wikipedia
Welcome to the Family Photo Gallery
Preview:
Mary McCormack as Caroline Yoder
Ricardo Chavira as Miguel Hernandez
Justina Machado as Lisette Hernandez
Ella Rae Peck as Molly Yoder
Joey Haro as Junior Hernandez
Fabrizio Guido as Demetrio Hernandez
Mike O'Malley (Dan Yoder) is well-known for his television work, particularly his leading role on Yes, Dear and his recurring role on My Name is Earl. He can also currently be seen in a recurring role on Glee as Kurt Hummel's father. He has also guest starred on popular shows such as Justified, Parenthood, and Parks and Recreation.
Mary McCormack (Caroline Yoder) is perhaps best known for her time spent as Kate Harper on The West Wing. She also starred as Mary Shannon on the series In Plain Sight. She has also appeared in a handful of films, including Miracle on 34th Street, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, and Full Frontal.
Ricardo Chavira (Miguel Hernandez) is best known for his role on Desperate Housewives as Carlos Solis, playing Eva Longoria's husband. He also has a long list of guest roles on shows such as George Lopez, 24, Six Feet Under, JAG, and NYPD Blue.
Justina Machado (Lisette Hernandez) is known for her role as Vanessa on Six Feet Under. She also starred as Sunny in the short-lived drama series Missing. Recently, she had a recurring role on Private Practice. She has guest starred in a long list of shows, including Ugly Betty, Cold Case, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and Body of Proof.
Ella Rae Peck (Molly Yoder) has guest starred in several shows, including Without a Trace, Law & Order, The Good Wife, and Gossip Girl. Her first starring role came this past winter on NBC's Deception.
Joey Haro (Junior Hernandez) is best known for his recurring roles on Awkward and Glee. Welcome to the Family is his first starring role in a series.
Fabrizio Guido (Demetrio Hernandez) made his big screen debut opposite Brad Pitt in the summer blockbuster World War Z. He discovered his love of acting at a young age, landing small parts in a variety of film and television projects, including several TV movies. One of his early roles was playing Drew McNeil on Grey's Anatomy.
Pilot Plot:
"Pilot" (airs Thursday, October 3 at 8:30 PM ET/PT)
Dan and Caroline's daughter has just graduated high school, and they're ready to send her off to college and start focusing on themselves again. Molly's boyfriend, Junior, is graduating from his high school with top honors and has plans to go to Stanford, to the high pride of his parents. Everything seems like it is falling into place for all but unbeknownst to both of the families, Molly and Junior are about to become parents themselves. Once the teens break the big news, these two very different families are suddenly thrown together, which goes anything but smoothly.
Analysis:
When I first read the logline for Welcome to the Family when NBC picked it up in May, I remember groaning. Really? A sitcom about the culture clash when a Hispanic and a Caucasian family are forced to meet? We're really doing sitcoms about this? In 2013? It seemed to invite all of the worst possible stereotypes, and I immediately braced myself for yet another sitcom that gets all of its "laughs" from cheap shock humor and "satirical" racism. Because one 2 Broke Girls just isn't enough, apparently. But when I watched the pilot, I was pleased that it subverted my expectations. The cheap humor I feared was almost completely absent, and most of the characters managed to resist the easy stereotypes the show could've easily pinned them as. If absolutely nothing else, Welcome to the Family wasn't the racist mess it easily could've been.
Honestly, though...that's about the only nice thing I can say about it. It's not racist! Yay! But it's really boring, and feels kind of empty, which is strange for a show dealing with topics as potentially heavy as this one. I think it feels empty because the characters are so weak – in fact, they're hardly characters at all as much as they are stock personalities. Nothing about them feels natural – Mike O'Malley's character is an old-fashioned type, blue-collar dad, because of course he is. His wife is his level-headed and supportive companion, because that's what TV wives are supposed to be. His daughter is ditzy, and oh, she's also a raging feminist, because why not? That's a personality quirk that characters have sometimes. Why is she a feminist? Well, that would require some deep digging that Welcome to the Family doesn't seem capable of or even interested in doing. Junior and his family aren't much better – he's an Ivy Leauge-bound brainiac and his dad is a tough-minded macho man and his wife is his level-headed and supportive companion...hey, that sounds familiar, doesn't it? Everything here just feels so overly calculated, from the characters to the paint-by-numbers plot even to the painfully generic "quirky!" music cues that the show places in between scenes. The only thing that isn't calculated is the jokes – because there's none of them. I didn't laugh once, and I'd struggle to identify points where I was even supposed to be laughing. The show feels a little bit like a script that was supposed to get punched up by a writers' room, but never actually made it to that stage.
True, lots of sitcom pilots have stock characters and generic plots, and most aren't very funny. But most sitcom pilots - the ones worth a damn, anyway – have at least a suggestion of a purpose, of something there beneath the surface. What makes me so unconfident that Welcome to the Family will overcome its issues and turn into anything worthwhile is the fact that it feels like there's nothing beneath its overly generic surface at all.
Conclusion:"Pilot" (airs Thursday, October 3 at 8:30 PM ET/PT)
Dan and Caroline's daughter has just graduated high school, and they're ready to send her off to college and start focusing on themselves again. Molly's boyfriend, Junior, is graduating from his high school with top honors and has plans to go to Stanford, to the high pride of his parents. Everything seems like it is falling into place for all but unbeknownst to both of the families, Molly and Junior are about to become parents themselves. Once the teens break the big news, these two very different families are suddenly thrown together, which goes anything but smoothly.
Analysis:
When I first read the logline for Welcome to the Family when NBC picked it up in May, I remember groaning. Really? A sitcom about the culture clash when a Hispanic and a Caucasian family are forced to meet? We're really doing sitcoms about this? In 2013? It seemed to invite all of the worst possible stereotypes, and I immediately braced myself for yet another sitcom that gets all of its "laughs" from cheap shock humor and "satirical" racism. Because one 2 Broke Girls just isn't enough, apparently. But when I watched the pilot, I was pleased that it subverted my expectations. The cheap humor I feared was almost completely absent, and most of the characters managed to resist the easy stereotypes the show could've easily pinned them as. If absolutely nothing else, Welcome to the Family wasn't the racist mess it easily could've been.
Honestly, though...that's about the only nice thing I can say about it. It's not racist! Yay! But it's really boring, and feels kind of empty, which is strange for a show dealing with topics as potentially heavy as this one. I think it feels empty because the characters are so weak – in fact, they're hardly characters at all as much as they are stock personalities. Nothing about them feels natural – Mike O'Malley's character is an old-fashioned type, blue-collar dad, because of course he is. His wife is his level-headed and supportive companion, because that's what TV wives are supposed to be. His daughter is ditzy, and oh, she's also a raging feminist, because why not? That's a personality quirk that characters have sometimes. Why is she a feminist? Well, that would require some deep digging that Welcome to the Family doesn't seem capable of or even interested in doing. Junior and his family aren't much better – he's an Ivy Leauge-bound brainiac and his dad is a tough-minded macho man and his wife is his level-headed and supportive companion...hey, that sounds familiar, doesn't it? Everything here just feels so overly calculated, from the characters to the paint-by-numbers plot even to the painfully generic "quirky!" music cues that the show places in between scenes. The only thing that isn't calculated is the jokes – because there's none of them. I didn't laugh once, and I'd struggle to identify points where I was even supposed to be laughing. The show feels a little bit like a script that was supposed to get punched up by a writers' room, but never actually made it to that stage.
True, lots of sitcom pilots have stock characters and generic plots, and most aren't very funny. But most sitcom pilots - the ones worth a damn, anyway – have at least a suggestion of a purpose, of something there beneath the surface. What makes me so unconfident that Welcome to the Family will overcome its issues and turn into anything worthwhile is the fact that it feels like there's nothing beneath its overly generic surface at all.
The best thing I can say about this show is that it's not as terrible as I thought it'd be going in. Or at least, it's not the same kind of terrible I thought it'd be going in. If you're afraid this show is going to be the cloying racism-fest its premise suggests it might be, then you'll be relieved to know that it's not that at all. But it is really boring, with painfully generic stock characters and a premise it doesn't seem to know how to deal with. There's an interesting sitcom to be made about teen pregnancy, and even an interesting sitcom to be made out of the cultural identities that are occasionally hinted at here, but Welcome to the Family would rather just coast along in its blandness, never allowing itself to be anything more than a sitcom that's as safe and generic as they come.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 2.5/5
Funniness: 1.5/5
Overall: 2/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.
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Preview:
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
ABC Fall Pilot Review: Super Fun Night - Premieres Oct. 2; Fox Flips Those Burgers for Season 5 of Bob's Burgers
Super Fun Night - Wednesdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 9:30PM ET/PT
by Vincent
Super Fun Night is a new single-camera comedy from Conan O'Brien starring breakout actress Rebel Wilson that stars a group of misfit young adults vowing to get out of their houses every Friday night and have a "super fun night" together. The series also follows Wilson's character Kimmy Boubier as she attempts to sustain a successful career as a lawyer while still maintaining her unique personality.
Cast Details:
Rebel Wilson as Kimmy Boubier
Liza Lipara as Helen-Alice
Lauren Ash as Marika
Kevin Bishop as Richard Lovell
Kate Jenkinson as Kendall
Rebel Wilson (Kimmy Boubier) is an Australian actress with a large background in comedy, including the Australian comedy Pizza and the musical comedy series Bogan Pride – which she wrote, produced, and starred in. Her breakout role in the United States came in 2011's Bridesmaids, and her fame escalated in 2012 after starring in the popular musical-comedy film Pitch Perfect.
Liza Lipara (Helen-Alice) has recently starred in sitcoms such as Traffic Light and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. She has also appeared in a handful of films, including Domino, The Big Band Swim, and Crazy Stupid Love. She has also guest starred in many shows, including NCIS, Dexter, ER, Sex and the City, and The Sopranos.
Lauren Ash (Marika) has starred in several television series, including Almost Heroes and Howie Do It. She also has written for several shorts and mini-seires, including Trashy Affair and Facebook of Revelations.
Kevin Bishop (Richard Lovell) is an English comedian best known for his show The Kevin Bishop Show. He has also starred in films such as Muppet Treasure Island, Grange Hill, and Dick Whittington.
Kate Jenkinson (Kendall) is an Australian actress best known for her work on the comedy The Wedge. She has also starred in films such as Rush, Bogan Pride, Canal Road, and Newstopia.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 2/5
Overall: 2.5/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.
Related Links:
ABC.com Official Site
TV.com
epguides.com
Internet Movie Database
Wikipedia
Super Fun Night Photo Gallery
Preview:
Liza Lipara as Helen-Alice
Lauren Ash as Marika
Kevin Bishop as Richard Lovell
Kate Jenkinson as Kendall
Rebel Wilson (Kimmy Boubier) is an Australian actress with a large background in comedy, including the Australian comedy Pizza and the musical comedy series Bogan Pride – which she wrote, produced, and starred in. Her breakout role in the United States came in 2011's Bridesmaids, and her fame escalated in 2012 after starring in the popular musical-comedy film Pitch Perfect.
Liza Lipara (Helen-Alice) has recently starred in sitcoms such as Traffic Light and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. She has also appeared in a handful of films, including Domino, The Big Band Swim, and Crazy Stupid Love. She has also guest starred in many shows, including NCIS, Dexter, ER, Sex and the City, and The Sopranos.
Lauren Ash (Marika) has starred in several television series, including Almost Heroes and Howie Do It. She also has written for several shorts and mini-seires, including Trashy Affair and Facebook of Revelations.
Kevin Bishop (Richard Lovell) is an English comedian best known for his show The Kevin Bishop Show. He has also starred in films such as Muppet Treasure Island, Grange Hill, and Dick Whittington.
Kate Jenkinson (Kendall) is an Australian actress best known for her work on the comedy The Wedge. She has also starred in films such as Rush, Bogan Pride, Canal Road, and Newstopia.
Pilot Plot:
"Anything for Love" (airs Wednesday, October 2 at 9:30 PM ET/PT)
In the premiere episode of Super Fun Night, Kimmie wants the gang to broaden their horizons and try something they've never done before – but her attitude changes when she is forced to face her fear of singing in public and perform at a piano bar. Meanwhile, Kendall can't understand why Richard and Kimmie are friends and plans to do something about it. This episode is actually the second episode of the series - ABC appears to be skipping the pilot for now.
Analysis:
It is not hard to see how Super Fun Night could be a good show. Rebel Wilson almost seems born to be a big TV star, with an appealing personality and a great sense of humor that's destined to appeal to mass audiences. The show also has a pretty impressive writing staff on deck - most notably its showrunner, longtime 30 Rock writer John Riggi. It has a vibe that is very reminiscent of the dearly departed Happy Endings, a hilarious show with an all-star cast that unfortunately never picked up enough of an audience. It desperately wants to capture that hang-out vibe that Happy Endings as well as shows like New Girl and Cougar Town have been able to nail down to a tee, the kind of show where you almost feel like you're just hanging out with a bunch of friends every time you sit down and watch it. When done right, these kinds of comedies are often some of the most fun shows on TV, and maintain a connection to their audience that few shows can match. But a hang-out comedy is really hard to do right. It needs incredibly strong jokes and intensely relatable characters that can keep its viewers entertained, despite the relative lack of premise. Without this, the show can feel cloying and directionless, meandering around and trying to do just about anything to keep you entertained. That's why I'm always really weary of hang-out comedies. The good ones are often among my favorite shows on TV, but the bad ones are always a serious chore to sit through.
Super Fun Night, unfortunately, mostly falls into the latter category. It's not terrible, and there are some really funny jokes in the mix. Rebel Wilson remains an appealing comic force, although her energy is toned down a lot from her Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect characters (not necessarily a bad decision, because those characters would be far too broad to build a good sitcom around). The other performances are mostly fine, although Liza Lipara is the only one who really gets a chance to do anything at all. It's just sort of a show that really has almost nothing to it at this point, other than "here's Rebel Wilson in a sitcom." The premise is paper-thin and the show barely pays any attention to it at all, instead relying on a very contrived storyline about Kimmy facing stage fright that wouldn't feel out of place on a Disney or Nick sitcom. There's weirdly a total lack of comic momentum, as the show will move from periods of rapid-fire jokes to long stretches without anything resembling jokes at all. I'm not expecting to laugh too much at a pilot, but there are periods where it feels like the show just flat-out forgot that it's a comedy and it's supposed to be funny. We don't really get any sense of why these people are friends with each other or what kind of relationship they have with each other - there's a mild resentment forming between Kimmy and Kendall that apparently is related to their affection for Richard, but it's not given the development it needs to make an impact. It's possible that some of this was explained in the scrapped pilot, but none of it's made clear in the episode that's now being used as the shows' premiere. In short, there's really nothing here to hate – it's not, say, Dads - but there's really nothing to like, either.
Having said that, I wouldn't be completely surprised if this show became the best comedy on TV by the end of its first season (assuming it lasts that long). These kinds of shows take time to develop into something worthwhile – the early episodes of Happy Endings, New Girl, and Cougar Town had some of the same issues, before eventually finding their voice, developing their characters and turning into top-notch hang-out sitcoms. I'm not completely optimistic, because the problems here feel more significant than the problems with any of those shows at their starts. But it's not a show I'm willing to write off completely just yet.
Conclusion:"Anything for Love" (airs Wednesday, October 2 at 9:30 PM ET/PT)
In the premiere episode of Super Fun Night, Kimmie wants the gang to broaden their horizons and try something they've never done before – but her attitude changes when she is forced to face her fear of singing in public and perform at a piano bar. Meanwhile, Kendall can't understand why Richard and Kimmie are friends and plans to do something about it. This episode is actually the second episode of the series - ABC appears to be skipping the pilot for now.
Analysis:
It is not hard to see how Super Fun Night could be a good show. Rebel Wilson almost seems born to be a big TV star, with an appealing personality and a great sense of humor that's destined to appeal to mass audiences. The show also has a pretty impressive writing staff on deck - most notably its showrunner, longtime 30 Rock writer John Riggi. It has a vibe that is very reminiscent of the dearly departed Happy Endings, a hilarious show with an all-star cast that unfortunately never picked up enough of an audience. It desperately wants to capture that hang-out vibe that Happy Endings as well as shows like New Girl and Cougar Town have been able to nail down to a tee, the kind of show where you almost feel like you're just hanging out with a bunch of friends every time you sit down and watch it. When done right, these kinds of comedies are often some of the most fun shows on TV, and maintain a connection to their audience that few shows can match. But a hang-out comedy is really hard to do right. It needs incredibly strong jokes and intensely relatable characters that can keep its viewers entertained, despite the relative lack of premise. Without this, the show can feel cloying and directionless, meandering around and trying to do just about anything to keep you entertained. That's why I'm always really weary of hang-out comedies. The good ones are often among my favorite shows on TV, but the bad ones are always a serious chore to sit through.
Super Fun Night, unfortunately, mostly falls into the latter category. It's not terrible, and there are some really funny jokes in the mix. Rebel Wilson remains an appealing comic force, although her energy is toned down a lot from her Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect characters (not necessarily a bad decision, because those characters would be far too broad to build a good sitcom around). The other performances are mostly fine, although Liza Lipara is the only one who really gets a chance to do anything at all. It's just sort of a show that really has almost nothing to it at this point, other than "here's Rebel Wilson in a sitcom." The premise is paper-thin and the show barely pays any attention to it at all, instead relying on a very contrived storyline about Kimmy facing stage fright that wouldn't feel out of place on a Disney or Nick sitcom. There's weirdly a total lack of comic momentum, as the show will move from periods of rapid-fire jokes to long stretches without anything resembling jokes at all. I'm not expecting to laugh too much at a pilot, but there are periods where it feels like the show just flat-out forgot that it's a comedy and it's supposed to be funny. We don't really get any sense of why these people are friends with each other or what kind of relationship they have with each other - there's a mild resentment forming between Kimmy and Kendall that apparently is related to their affection for Richard, but it's not given the development it needs to make an impact. It's possible that some of this was explained in the scrapped pilot, but none of it's made clear in the episode that's now being used as the shows' premiere. In short, there's really nothing here to hate – it's not, say, Dads - but there's really nothing to like, either.
Having said that, I wouldn't be completely surprised if this show became the best comedy on TV by the end of its first season (assuming it lasts that long). These kinds of shows take time to develop into something worthwhile – the early episodes of Happy Endings, New Girl, and Cougar Town had some of the same issues, before eventually finding their voice, developing their characters and turning into top-notch hang-out sitcoms. I'm not completely optimistic, because the problems here feel more significant than the problems with any of those shows at their starts. But it's not a show I'm willing to write off completely just yet.
Super Fun Night isn't a trainwreck, but it's also really nothing worth checking out at this point, unless you're a big Rebel Wilson fan and want to see her in a TV comedy. There are promising elements at play here – a solid creative team, a great leading lady, some pretty good joke writing – but the show is held back by its aimlessness and its lack of definition in just about every category. There's no clear premise or brand of humor, and any character that isn't played by Rebel Wilson feels like a hollow archetype. These are fixable problems, and hopefully the show will remedy them over the course of the first season. Until then, this feels very much like a sitcom that should amount to much more than it does.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 2/5
Overall: 2.5/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.
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Fox has renewed the Emmy Award-nominated Bob's Burgers for a fifth season, ordering 22 additional episodes of the hit animated series. The fourth "broadcast" season premiered on Sunday night (Sept. 29). The series is still fulfilling its third season episode order to start this fourth season. The fifth season order will have episodes airing through the 2015-16 season. Last season, Bob's Burgers was a Top 10 comedy among Men 18-49, Men 18-34 and is one of the Top 10 comedies among Male Teens. Additionally, Bob's Burgers was one of only two broadcast comedies to post year-over-year gains (+10%) among Adults 18-49. On the season premiere this past Sunday, "A River Runs Through Bob," Bob (H. Jon Benjamin), Linda (John Roberts) and the kids go on a camping adventure and face the perils of nature...and Bob's intestines.
Bob's Burgers follows the ups and downs of Bob (Benjamin), who runs Bob's Burgers with the help of his wife, Linda (Roberts), and their three kids, Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Louise (Kristen Schaal). Bob has big ideas about burgers, but his family falls short on service. Despite the greasy counters and lousy location, Bob and his family are determined to make every "Grand Re-Re-Re-opening" a success. This past season, the series received its second Emmy Award nomination for "Outstanding Animated Comedy Series."
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Wednesday, October 21
Scrubs - "My Best Friend's Birthday" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Turk is determined to have a fun birthday with J.D. and Elliot; the interns are challenged during the night shift.
Abbott Elementary - "The Tryouts" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
The step team tries out for a major competition; Melissa and Barbara take a special ed certification course; Janine, Gregory and Jacob welcome a new substitute.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 19)
Wednesday, October 21
- Billy Crystal (The Comedians/Soap) - Watch Billy on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Josh Charles (Best Medicine/Sports Night) - Josh appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Kate Berlant (Ghosted/Search Party) - Kate is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Natasha Leggero (Broke/Dice/Another Period/Free Agents) and Jimmie Walker (Good Times/At Ease/Bustin' Loose) - Natasha and Jimmie will be on a repeat of Funny You Should Ask at 12:37am on CBS.
- Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia appears on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Giancarlo Esposito (Bakersfield P.D.) - Giancarlo talks about The Only Living Pickpocket in New York on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Max Casella (Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Max talks about Jimmy on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
- Sara and Erin Foster (Producers of Nobody Wants This) - Sara and Erin talk about Nobody Wants This on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/20/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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