SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

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:

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Things have been a little quiet for this extended Independence Day weekend, but we're here with news about Community, the Full House reunion at Dave Coulier's wedding, and some new DVD releases from Mill Creek for the fall. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Mill Creek has another slate of re-releases on the way on September 2, beginning with the first two seasons of both Soap and spinoff Benson. It is worth noting that the second season of Benson was previously released only as a MOD product, so this will actually be the first time the second season appears as a standard DVD. Also on the same day, the studio will release the first two seasons of What's Happening!!
• Mill Creek wraps up the DVD run of the series Highway to Heaven (and, it is worth noting, for the first time ever in the United States) on September 16, with Highway to Heaven - The Complete Fifth Season. The three disc set will come at a $14.98 MSRP.
• Another big sitcom release is coming from Mill Creek sometime this fall (TVShowsOnDVD.com notes that an actual date is not yet known), with their release of Wings - The Complete Series.
• It has been almost two years since StarVista released The Carol Burnett Show - The Ultimate Collection, but up until now, it has been available exclusively through StarVista. But on September 16, it will have a retail release, but in a slightly less elaborate package.

JULY 8 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• The Soul Man - The Complete First Season (DVD, $19.97): Shout! Factory brings the first season of the TV Land sitcom to DVD for the very first time.

Who to Follow: Aubrey Plaza (Twitter), "hag"

Claim to Fame: Aubrey Plaza got her start on television with a role in an episode of 30 Rock, but it wasn't much later that she was cast in the series Parks and Recreation as April Ludgate. In that role, she has showcased her deadpan comedic style (which seems to be her style in everyday life as well) that she is known for. Even though she still appears as a regular on the series, she has also appeared in Portlandia, as well as the Swedish sitcom Welcome to Sweden, which will debut in America on NBC later this week.

Pick of the Tweets: "I love you Amy Poehler. you are mine. #emmycoven2013 #boshmania" (September 22, 2013)

Happy 4th of July to all of you out there! We hope you are enjoying the day off on our country's birthday! It's time to relax and watch some TV on this holiday! We are known for letting you know what marathons are airing on TV on holidays and we will do the same for this 4th of July as well! So, bring out your beach towel, BBQ some hot dogs, and stay cool indoors and watch some television!

Among the key marathons include a marathon of The Andy Griffith Show on TV Land from 9am-9pm. Locally, we have the third annual I Love Lucy marathon in New York City on WLNY-TV from 9am-5pm. Lucccccccccccy! Holy! Happy Birthday USA! IFC launches the classic '60s series Batman with a marathon from 6am-5pm. Logo will have a Roseanne marathon starting at 2pm through 8pm, while BET gets in the game with a marathon of The Game from 8am-2:30pm. E! spends the fourth with a Sex and the City marathon from 2pm-12am.

Other marathons of note include a Good Times marathon on TV One from 11am-5pm. There is also a CSI: NY marathon on Centric from 9am-6pm. Of course it wouldn't be the 4th of July without a Twilight Zone marathon on Syfy from 8am-8pm and then again from 12-4am. UP launches its new series Supernanny with a marathon from 9am-9pm. Since it's the 4th of July, you might want to watch a marathon of JAG on INSP or USA Network's NCIS marathon from 6am-8pm. AMC has a Walking Dead "Dead, White and Blue Marathon" marathon from 9am-6am, while BBC America goes into space again with Star Trek: The Next Generation marathon from 8am-6am. ION starts the day with Cold Case with a marathon from 2pm-7pm, followed by a night of Law & Order: Criminal Intent from 7pm-3am. Lifetime will turn the day over to reality, with marathons of Wife Swap and Little Women: LA. And if you're into more reality TV, we have a Keeping Up with the Kardashians marathon starting at 7am on E! and a Real Housewives of New Jersey marathon on Bravo starting at 9:30am. More marathons include Bravo's Bourne movies marathon starting at 6pm, EPIX's "American Psychos" movie marathon, getTV's "The 4th of July, with First Lady Nancy Reagan" movies marathon, TNT's "Superhero Movie Marathon" and Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel (Christmas Keepsake Movie Marathon and Gold Crown Christmas Movie Marathon).

Firweworks in primetime are on NBC (Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular) from 8-10pm (with an abbreviated encore at 10pm). PBS has a A Capitol Fourth live from Washington D.C. at 8pm hosted by Tom Bergeron. It was great last year and Tom returns again for the third straight year. Our friends at TV Tango have compiled a FULL LIST of marathons today! Bring out your lawn chair, throw some burgers on the BBQ, and watch some television!


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 7-11, 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!

Monday, July 7, 2014

• Meagan Good (Cousin Skeeter/Raising Dad) - Watch Meagan on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Kathy visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jason Biggs (Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason is a guest on Tavis Smiley on PBS, so check your local listings.
• Jonathan Kite (2 Broke Girls) - Jonathan appears on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Ana Ortiz (A.U.S.A./Kristin) - Ana guest co-hosts The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Tyler Labine (Deadbeat/Animal Practice/Mad Love/Sons of Tucson) - Tyler stops by TakePart Live on Pivot at 10pm.
• Alfonso Ribeiro (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso is part of the Plugged In panel on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Betty will be on The Queen Latifah Show at 1am on BET or on your local stations.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

• Julie Bowen (Modern Family) - Catch Julie on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Judy Greer (Married/Mad Love/Arrested Development) - Judy is a guest on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Malin Akerman (Trophy Wife) - Malin appears on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Bailee Madison (Trophy Wife) and Max Charles (The Neighbors) - Bailee and Max, stars of Hallmark Channel's original movie NorthPole, help prepare a special holiday dish on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• DJ Qualls (Legit) - DJ is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show at 3am on BET or on your local stations.
• Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth (Mystery Girls/What I Like About You) - The stars of ABC Family's Mystery Girls will be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

• Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) - Watch Kelly on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Leah Remini (The King of Queens/Family Tools) - Leah appears on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. She chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Michael Ian Black (Ed) - Michael co-hosts TakePart Live at 10pm on Pivot.
• Derek Waters (Married to the Kellys) - Derek is a guest on TakePart Live at 10pm on Pivot.
• Marlon Wayans (The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon joins the AH Live crew in studio on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil spills hilarious stories from his latest adventures on stage and screen on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Rob Reiner (All in the Family) - Rob is a guest on HuffPost Live. He will also be on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York in the 9am hour. Finally, he will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Greg Poehler (Welcome to Sweden) - Greg will be on HuffPost Live.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

• Roseanne Barr (Roseanne) - Catch Roseanne on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Carl Reiner (The Dick Van Dyke Show) - Carl is a guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) - Melissa is part of the guest panel on a repeat of Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback/Web Therapy) - Lisa appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Wendell Pierce (The Michael J. Fox Show/The Weber Show/Cursed/The Gregory Hines Show) - Wendell is a guest on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Leah Remini (The King of Queens/Family Tools) - Leah dishes about her new TLC reality show Leah Remini: It’s All Relative on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations. She can also be heard on Just Jenny on SiriusXM Stars Radio Channel 106 at 10am.
• Michael Ian Black (Ed) - Michael co-hosts TakePart Live at 10pm on Pivot.
• Lizzy Caplan (The Class/Party Down) - Lizzy will be on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am.
• Sophia Bush (Partners) - Sophia appears on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show at 3am on BET or on your local stations.
• Greg Poehler (Welcome to Sweden) - Greg is a guest on NBC's Today in the 10am hour. He will also be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Chris appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.

Friday, July 11, 2014

• Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) - Watch Molly on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Ben Falcone (Joey) - Ben appears on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Rob Reiner (All in the Family) - Rob is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Jenny Slate (Married/Parks and Recreation) - Jenny appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Nia Long (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Nia will be on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Don Cheadle (The Golden Palace) - Don is a guest on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show at 3am on BET or on your local stations.
• Leah Remini (The King of Queens/Family Tools) - Leah talks about her new reality series Leah Remini: It's All Relative on Wake Up with Taylor on SiriusXM Stars Radio Channel 106 sometime between 7-10am.
• Lizzy Caplan (The Class/Party Down) - Lizzy talks discusses the new season of Showtime's Masters of Sex on Wake Up with Taylor on SiriusXM Stars Radio Channel 106 sometime between 7-10am.
• Gregg Sulkin (Wizards of Waverly Place) - Gregg will be on Fox and Friends on Fox News Channel at 7:22am.
• Judy Reyes (Scrubs) - Judy is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 8:35am.

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!

FXX has ordered 10 episodes of the comedy series Man Seeking Woman, starring Jay Baruchel from former Saturday Night Live writer Simon Rich. The series will air on FXX and premiere in 2015. A sweet and absurd look at the surreal life-and-death stakes of dating, Man Seeking Woman centers on "Josh Greenberg" (Baruchel), a naive romantic on a desperate quest for love. Rounding out the cast are series regulars Eric Andre (The Eric Andre Show, Don't Trust the B-- in Apartment 23), Britt Lower (Unforgettable) and Maya Erskine (Betas). Man Seeking Woman is based on Simon Rich's book of short stories, The Last Girlfriend on Earth. Rich wrote the pilot, with Jonathan Krisel (Kroll Show, Portlandia) directing. Rich will be Executive Producer/Showrunner, as Krisel, along with Andrew Singer and Lorne Michaels are Executive Producers on the series. Broadway Video will produce for FX Productions.

Several sitcom stars will be featured in Investigation Discovery's (ID) new series Heartbreakers. Hunky Hollywood actors from the '80s and '90s reunite on screen to portray real-life dreamboats who turned into total nightmares. Directed and written in a sensational, Aaron Spelling-esque style reminiscent of classic primetime soaps, Heartbreakers takes true stories ripped from the headlines to show what really happens when the perfect catch turns out to be the perfect criminal. Featuring Kevin Sorbo (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), Jack Wagner (Melrose Place), Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club), Rob Estes (Melrose Place), Tracey Gold (Growing Pains), Nicole Eggert (Charles in Charge, Baywatch), Jamie Luner (Just the Ten of Us, Melrose Place), Christopher Knight (The Brady Bunch), and Antonio Sabato, Jr. (General Hospital), Heartbreakers makes its world premiere debut on ID on Wednesday, August 13 at 10/9c.

Heartbreakers is rooted in real stories that are already truly unbelievable on their own. The series also features interviews and behind-the-scenes commentary with the actual people involved, layering in context and additional information about each case. And not to disappoint, Heartbreakers provides a nod to the actors' previous lives in the primetime soap world, dropping little golden surprises that are sure to appeal to the fan's sense of nostalgia: anyone for The Brady Bunch's pork chops and apple sauce?

Here is the schedule:

"Losing My Religion" - Starring Jack Wagner, Rob Estes and Jamie Luner
World Premiere: Wednesday, August 13 at 10/9c
Pastor David "Brother" Love (Wagner) presides over a close-knit church in a community outside of Kansas City in 2000. The parishioners admire him, maybe none more so than Randy Stone (Estes), a loyal church member and one of his closest friends. But loyalties are tested when Love becomes too close with Randy's wife, Teresa (Luner). The forbidden relationship leads to a decade long affair full of secrets and lies. Manipulation, jealousy, money and heartbreak all play a part in this chilling story that leads to a shocking investigation of murder.

"Shot Through the Heart" - Starring Christopher Knight, Antonio Sabato, Jr. and Tracey Gold
World Premiere: Wednesday, August 20 at 10/9c
Set in the mid-1980s, a small Texas town is rocked by a love triangle that takes place at its Junior High School. Principal Hurley Fontenot (Knight) leaves his wife to be with the pretty, young new school clerk, Laura Nugent (Gold). And their relationship is blossoming, that is until Billy Mac Fleming (Sabato, Jr.) came to town. Fleming, the new Football Coach, swept Laura off her feet. Both men wanted her, but only one could have her. It was a classic showdown of brains versus brawn. They would all end up heartbroken. But one of them would end up in a dark, desolate ditch, the victim of an execution style murder.

"Tainted Love" - Starring Judd Nelson, Kevin Sorbo and Nicole Eggert
World Premiere: Wednesday, August 27 at 10/9c
On New Year's Day in 1991, David Russell Miller (Nelson), a wealthy businessman, and Jayne (Eggert), a beautiful single mother, boarded a flight from Orlando to Los Angeles. It would change both of their lives. The chance encounter led to a whirlwind romance and a Valentine's Day marriage six weeks later. It was a fairy tale life full of expensive dinners, exotic travel and extravagant living that they both loved. But there would be no happy ending. After a few months of marriage, private investigator Bob Brown (Sorbo) made some starling discoveries about the dark secrets that had been hidden. Once exposed, a standoff occurred and one of them was left the victim of a brutal and gruesome killing in broad daylight.

The latest series that has joined the Logo line-up is The X-Files. The hit '90s drama series starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson is airing late nights on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursday nights as of last night. The X-Files joins other dramas on the line-up including CSI, Boston Legal and Nip/Tuck, along with many sitcoms like Will & Grace, Designing Women, Roseanne, The Golden Girls, The Nanny, and Living Single. But wait, there's more! Another comedy will join the line-up starting Saturday, July 19. Short-lived comedy Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 starring Krysten Ritter and James Van Der Beek will launch with a marathon from 1pm-11pm on that night. It will regularly air in blocks usually on a Friday or Saturday after the marathon. In this comedy, after nice girl June Colburn's dreams of making it big in New York City end in disaster, she's forced to move in with Chloe, a fabulous party girl with sociopathic tendencies. Stay with us for continued updates as Logo keeps adding a lot of series (but unfortunately some shows have disappeared like Maude, Bewitched and NewsRadio)

Jennifer Love Hewitt has joined the cast of CBS drama Criminal Minds as a series regular. Her character will be introduced in the series' 10th season premiere, Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 9:00-10:00 PM. Hewitt will play Kate Callahan, a seasoned undercover agent whose stellar work at the FBI has landed her a coveted position with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. For five seasons, Hewitt starred as Melinda Gordon in Ghost Whisperer on CBS. Her additional television credits include the just-completed Lifetime series The Client List, based on the television movie of the same name, which she executive produced and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries Made for Television, TV movie The Lost Valentine, opposite Betty White, the title role in telefilm The Audrey Hepburn Story, based on the life of the Academy Award-winning actress, and the Fox TV series Party of Five.

Jennifer joins the other Criminal Minds stars Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, AJ Cook and Kirsten Vangsness for this tenth season.

Community is not coming back next season on NBC. It's also not coming to Hulu. But wait, it IS coming back somewhere! Yahoo and Sony Pictures Television announced that Community will return this Fall for a highly-anticipated sixth season, with 13 new episodes available exclusively on Yahoo! Screen. It's official and is happening. The cast has been saying six seasons and a movie, and looks like we are halfway there now with the announcement of a sixth season. Will a movie be back?

At the center of the group is Jeff Winger (Joel McHale, The Soup), a fast-talking lawyer who was dis-barred until he could earn a legitimate degree. He chose Greendale, thinking he could breeze through the mediocre school without a hitch. However, he soon found himself the reluctant leader of a disparate group of misfits, all stuck at Greendale for different reasons. The study group includes Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs), who dropped out of high school to "change the world" and soon found herself in her thirties with no marketable skills; Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown), a religious housewife who landed at Greendale after a messy divorce and is now blossoming into a headstrong entrepreneur; Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi), a socially awkward, but well-meaning, pop culture savant; Annie Edison (Alison Brie), a high-strung perfectionist; and, Ben Chang (Ken Jeong ), a former Spanish teacher who is either insane or an evil genius, or both. At Greendale's helm is Dean Pelton (Jim Rash), an administrator whose ineptitude is matched only by his love of the school and his devotion to his students.

Dan Harmon created Community and serves as executive producer. Russ Krasnoff also serves as executive producer, along with Gary Foster (Sleepless in Seattle) and Chris McKenna (The Mindy Project).

FX is officially back in business with Denis Leary, placing a 10-episode order for the comedy series Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll. Created by and starring Leary, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll is produced by FX Productions and Fox Television Studios, and will premiere on FX in 2015. Starring Leary, John Corbett, Elizabeth Gillies, Elaine Hendrix and Bobby Kelly, SDRR is centered on "Johnny Rock" (Leary), a middle-aged rock 'n roller who desperately wanted to be rich and famous. So far, he's 0 for 2. As the magnificently talented lead singer of New York's legendary early 90's band The Heathens, Johnny was on his way to the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. His best friend "Flash" (Corbett) was being called the next number one lead guitar player on planet earth. The critics loved them. Their live shows were selling out.

But Johnny had a problem with booze. And coke. And weed. And pills. And cough medicine. And oh yeah - he slept with Flash's wife. And his bass player's fiancé. The band broke up the same day their first and only record was released. 25 years later Johnny is trying to get the band back together. Why? Because as his soon-to-be-ex manager Ira Feinbaum tells him: "Johnny, you're 50, broke and completely anonymous. In rock 'n roll you know what that makes you? A bartender." 25 years later the sex might be harder to find, the drugs might be Luvox and Crestor and Cialis - but rock 'n roll will never die. It just has a bigger prostate. The Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll pilot was written by Leary and directed by Michael Blieden. Leary, his company Apostle and partner Jim Serpico are Executive Producers. It is produced by FX Productions and Fox Television Studios. It will be filmed on location in New York City. The show will feature original music and occasional guest appearances by actual rock stars.