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Actress, director and producer Penny Marshall, who starred as Laverne DeFazio in Laverne & Shirley, has died. She died in Los Angeles from complications of diabetes on December 17. Ms. Marshall was 75.

Marshall's early sitcom guest appearances included That Girl, Love, American Style, Barefoot in the Park, Getting Together, The Super and The Bob Newhart Show. Her early drama guest appearances included My Friend Tony, Then Came Bronson, The Magical World of Disney and Banacek.

She appeared in the recurring role of Myrna Turner, Oscar Madison's secretary, in 27 episodes of The Odd Couple on ABC from 1972 to 1974. It was developed and executive produced by her brother, Garry Marshall. The cast included Tony Randall, Jack Klugman, Al Molinaro, Garry Walberg and Larry Gelman. She reprised the role in the 1993 CBS TV movie The Odd Couple: Together Again.

Marshall starred as Janice Dreyfuss in the short lived 1974-1975 CBS sitcom Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers. Janice was Charlie's affection-starved wife who constantly mocked Robert for his romantic failures. The series also starred Paul Sand, Michael Pataki, Dick Wesson, Steve Landesberg, Craig Richard Nelson and Jack Gilford.

She first appeared as Laverne DeFazio in the November 11, 1975, episode of Happy Days titled A Date with Fonzie. Laverne and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams) were a pair of wise-cracking brewery workers, who were dates for Fonzie (Henry Winkler) and Richie (Ron Howard). After the success of their appearance, Garry Marshall decided to create a spin-off series for them.

Marshall starred as Laverne DeFazio for 8 seasons and 178 episodes on Laverne & Shirley on ABC from 1976 to 1983. Laverne and Shirley were two friends and roommates who worked as bottle-cappers in the fictitious Shotz Brewery in late 1950s Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Laverne was a tough-talking tomboy who grew up in Brooklyn. Her favorite drink was milk and pepsi. She was known for the script letter "L" monogrammed on her shirts and sweaters. The series also starred Eddie Mekka, Phil Foster, David L. Lander, Michael McKean, Betty Garrett (1976-1981), Carole Ita White (1976-1977), Ed Marinaro (1980-1981) and Leslie Easterbrook (1980-1983).

She received three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her role. Marshall appeared as Laverne in five other episodes of Happy Days, one episode of Blansky's Beauties and the pilot episode of Mork & Mindy. She voiced the character in the animated series Laverne & Shirley in the Army and the Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour.

Marshall directed four episodes of Laverne & Shirley. Some of her other sitcom directing credits included Working Stiffs, A League of Their Own, According to Jim and United States of Tara.

Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Chico and the Man, Good Heavens, Taxi, I'm with Her, Entourage, Campus Ladies, The Game, Sam & Cat (reunited with Cindy Williams), Mulaney and The Odd Couple (2016). She had voice credits for The Simpsons, Frasier and The Life & Times of Tim.

She appeared in many TV movies including The Feminist and the Fuzz, Evil Roy Slade, The Crooked Hearts, The Couple Takes a Wife, Let's Switch!, Wives, More Than Friends (with Rob Reiner), Love Thy Neighbor (with John Ritter), Challenge of a Lifetime, Jackie's Back! and Women Without Men. Some of her film credits included The Savage Seven, How Sweet It Is!, The Grasshopper, Movers & Shakers, Hocus Pocus, The Hard Way and Alice Upside Down.

Marshall also had much success as film director. She made her directorial debut in 1986 with Jumpin' Jack Flash. In 1988, Big became the first film directed by a woman to gross more than $100 million at the U.S. box office. Her other film directing credits included Awakenings (1990, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture), A League of Their Own (1995), Renaissance Man (1994), The Preacher's Wife (1996) and Riding in Cars with Boys (2001). She worked as executive producer on Awakenings, A League of Their Own, Calendar Girl, Renaissance Man, Cinderella and Bewitched.

She was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on August 7, 2013.

Ms. Marshall was in a league of her own as an actress and director. She was very funny and memorable with her physical comedy and delivery of lines in her iconic role as Laverne. We thank her for the many laughs and hours of entertainment she brought us during her long career. It's sad that we've lost the brother and sister duo of Garry and Penny in the last two years. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Laverne & Shirley message board. View photos in our galleries.

MeTV Network pays tribute to the career and comedy of beloved actress and director Penny Marshall with a special presentation of Laverne & Shirley episodes airing on MeTV this Sunday, December 23 beginning at 2:00pm ET/PT through 6:00pm ET/PT. In a March 2015 interview with MeTV, Marshall shared her favorite Laverne & Shirley episodes. As a tribute to her enduring character Laverene DeFazio, MeTV has scheduled six of these memorable episodes, along with two special holiday-themed episodes, to create a special four-hour afternoon celebration of memorable and hilarious comedy for the whole family. Episodes airing from 2-6pm are: 2:00pm-2:30pm: "Fakeout at the Stakeout," "Bridal Shower," "Guinea Pigs," "Steppin' Out," "Airport '59," "Supermarket Sweep," "Christmas Eve at the Booby Hatch," and "Oh, Come All Ye Bums."

Conan O'Brien debuts new 30-minute format show starting January 22 for Conan, ushering in a new era of multi-platform comedy with Team Coco. The longest-tenured host in late-night will return for his ninth season on TBS and 26th year on television, debuting a new thirty-minute format four nights a week in its regular timeslot starting on January 22, 2019 at 11pm. The revamped late-night show and expanded Team Coco fan experience will define a new era in multi-platform comedy. The show's new format will continue to feature celebrity guests and Conan's signature brand of comedy, which has made him one of the world's most popular hosts across both digital and linear platforms. Conan continues to evolve the genre by challenging conventions, taking creative risks and discovering and fostering new comedic talent.

American Dad! returns to TBS on Monday, February 11, 2019 at 10pm ET/ PT. American Dad! centers on super patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and the misadventures of his unconventional family in Langley Falls, VA. Stan applies the same drastic measures used in his job at the CIA to his home life, where Stan's blissfully unaware wife, Francine (Wendy Schaal), has an unfaltering loyalty that makes her blind to his unabashed arrogance. His left-wing activist daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), however, doesn’t let him off so easily – and knows just how to push her father's buttons. Hayley's brother is the geeky-yet-confident Steve (Scott Grimes), a kid who spends his time playing video games and obsessing about the opposite sex.

The Smith cabinet is rounded out by two rather unconventional members: Roger (MacFarlane), a sassy, sarcastic and routinely inappropriate space alien, and Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker), an attention-starved goldfish with the brain of a German Olympic skier. The irreverent, satirical, award-winning animated comedy is created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, executive-produced by co-showrunner Brian Boyle along with creators MacFarlane and Weitzman. The series premiered on the Fox broadcasting network in 2005 before moving to TBS in 2014. The top 10 cable comedy continues to be a key performer for the network, with the first half of the season reaching 12 million viewers across linear, VOD and TBD digital platforms.

Construction is underway at The Brady Bunch house and HGTV's digital platforms now offer an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at every step of the renovation. The network has launched its "Brady Renovation Central" at HGTV.com/Brady where fans can find in-depth articles, exciting video content, photo galleries, show updates and more. The site also offers a first look at The Brady Bunch home renovation in a digital video series, Building Brady. New installments will be uploaded weekly—as well as to the A Very Brady Renovation Facebook Watch page -- and will offer a glimpse of the full series which premieres in 2019. The digital series will document the special moments between the Brady TV siblings Barry Williams (Greg), Maureen McCormick (Marcia), Christopher Knight (Peter), Eve Plumb (Jan), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) and HGTV stars Jonathan and Drew Scott (Property Brothers), Mina Starsiak and Karen E Laine (Good Bones), siblings Leanne and Steve Ford (Restored by the Fords), Jasmine Roth (Hidden Potential) and Lara Spencer (Flea Market Flip). In addition to Building Brady, more digital series will launch throughout the year leading up to the television premiere.

Brady fans are encouraged to like, heart and follow A Very Brady Renovation on social media during the world-famous home's overhaul. On the A Very Brady Renovation Facebook Watch page, HGTV will share far out 70s-inspired decorating tips and entertaining videos. The dedicated Brady Bunch Instagram account, @verybradyrenovation, will spotlight talent takeovers, bonus clips, bloopers, boomerangs and extra groovy goodies from the cutting room floor.

One of the most beloved comedies in television history will light up the airwaves starting on New Year's Eve, Monday, December 31 at 10:00 p.m. and ending on New Year's Day, Tuesday, January 1 at 9:00 p.m. when WLNY-TV (Channels 10/55) in New York City presents The Odd Couple marathon. The marathon will include 46 episodes from the classic series, culminating with the 1975 "To Bowl or Not to Bowl" episode, featuring Felix and Oscar's bowling team battling for the championship (8:00 p.m.) and the 1975 "Felix Remarries" episode when Felix convinces his ex-wife to remarry him (8:30 p.m.). WLNY's The Odd Couple marathon will also feature the 1973 "The Ides of April" episode where Felix inadvertently gets Oscar called in for an audit from the IRS (6:30 p.m.) and 1973's "Take My Furniture Please" episode where both Felix and Oscar take turns redecorating their apartment (6:00 p.m.).

The ABC Television Network has ordered additional episodes of many hit comedies. The comedies getting the more than 22 episode treatment are black-ish, The Goldbergs, The Kids Are Alright and Single Parents for the current 2018-2019 season. Additional episode orders are as follows:

black-ish (Tuesdays, 9:00-9:30 p.m.) - 2 episodes (total of 24 episodes)
In its 5th season on the network, ABC's black-ish was created by Kenya Barris and is executive produced by Barris, Jonathan Groff, Kenny Smith, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, E. Brian Dobbins, Gail Lerner, Courtney Lilly and Lindsey Shockley. The series is produced by ABC Studios.

The Goldbergs (Wednesdays, 8:00-8:30 p.m.) - 1 episode (total of 23 episodes)
Adam F. Goldberg, Doug Robinson, Alex Barnow, Chris Bishop, Lew Schneider, David Guarascio and Andrew Secunda are executive producers of The Goldbergs, in its 6th season on the network. "The Goldbergs" is produced by Happy Madison, Doug Robinson Productions and Adam F. Goldberg Productions, in association with Sony Pictures Television.

The Kids Are Alright (Tuesdays, 8:31-9:00 p.m.) - 1 episode (total of 23 episodes)
New series The Kids Are Alright is from ABC Studios. From creator and executive producer Tim Doyle (Last Man Standing, The Real O'Neals), the series is inspired by Doyle's childhood. Randall Einhorn is also an executive producer.

Single Parents (Wednesdays, 9:31-10:00 p.m.) - 1 episode (total of 23 episodes)
Freshmen comedy Single Parents is from 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios. JJ Philbin and Elizabeth Meriwether are creators and executive producers. Katherine Pope, Erin O'Malley and Jason Winer are also executive producers.

American Housewife already had an extra episode picked-up earlier this season, for a total of 23 episodes, while Splitting Up Together got 5 extra episodes on its original order (18 total episodes). The other ABC comedies, which includes Modern Family, Fresh off the Boat and Speechless will air 22 episodes each. The Connors ends its first season 11-episode run in late January. ABC has two all-new mid-season comedies coming in Schooled (13 episodes) and Bless this Mess (6 episodes).

It's Sunday, 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 December 17-21, 2018, 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, December 17

• Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy/American Dad!/The Cleveland Show) - Watch Seth on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Andrea Savage (I'm Sorry/Significant Others) - Andrea appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) - Jameela is a guest on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Adam Pally (Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo. He also talks about the YouTube original Champaign, ILL on the BUILD Series at 2pm.
• Julie Bowen (Modern Family) - Julie visits E!'s Busy Tonight at 10pm.
• Marlo Thomas (That Girl) - Marlo chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Dan Levy (Schitt's Creek) and Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek/Hiller and Diller) - Daniel and Eugene are guests on Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Lil Rel Howery (Rel/The Carmichael Show) - Lil Rel talks about Netflix's Bird Box on the BUILD Series at 4pm.

Tuesday, December 18

• Craig Robinson (Ghosted/Mr. Robinson/The Office) - Catch Craig on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey is a guest on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Leslie Grossman (What I Like About You/10 Things I Hate About You) - Leslie drops by E!'s Busy Tonight at 10pm.
• Kristin Chenoweth (Trial & Error: Lady, Killer/Kristin) - Kristin chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Laurence Fishburne (black-ish) - Laurence appears on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah cooks up gingerbread latte cookies on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Laura Benanti (The Detour/Go On/Starved) - Laura talks about My Fair Lady on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Christian Slater (Breaking In) - Christian will be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) and Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years/Sullivan & Son) - Danica and Dan talk about the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original Christmas at Grand Valley on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Bill Engvall (The Bill Engvall Show) - Bill is a guest on a repeat of The Doctors, so check your local listings.

Wednesday, December 19

• Steve Carell (The Office) - Watch Steve on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Vice on the BUILD Series at 1pm.
• Brian Posehn (The Sarah Silverman Program/The Big Bang Theory) - Brian stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on the BUILD Series at 4pm.
• Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Tyler Alvarez (Every Witch Way) - Tyler appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Nicole Byer (Loosely Exactly Nicole) - Nicole is a guest on E!'s Busy Tonight at 10pm.
• Corbin Bernsen (Cuts), Harry Hamlin (Movie Stars) and Alan Rachins (Dharma & Greg) - Corbin, Harry, Alan and the cast of L.A. Law are guests on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly/Samantha Who?) - Melissa appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Kristin Chenoweth (Trial & Error: Lady, Killer/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on a repeat of ABC's GMA Day at 1pm.
• Brooke Nevin (Call Me Fitz) and Michael Cassidy (People of Earth/Men at Work) - Brooke and Michael talk about the Hallmark Channel original Jingle Around the Clock on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.

Thursday, December 20

• Beth Behrs (The Neighborhood/2 Broke Girls) - Catch Beth on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) and NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - Kyle and NeNe are guests on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke stops by E!'s Busy Tonight at 10pm.
• Faith Ford (Murphy Brown/Hope & Faith) - Faith appears on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jodie Sweetin (Fuller House/Hollywood Darlings/Full House) - Jodie guest co-hosts a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah visits The Real, so check your local listings.
• Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve talks about Welcome to Marwen and Vice on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Sean Hayes (Will & Grace/Sean Saves the World) - Sean and his husband and composer Scott Icenogle are guests on a repeat of ABC's GMA Day at 1pm.
• Alexa PenaVega (Ruby & the Rockits/Ladides Man) - Alexa discusses the Hallmark original Christmas Made to Order onHome & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.

Friday, December 21

• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen/The Ellen Show) - Watch Ellen on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Pete Holmes (Crashing) - Pete appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Laura Benanti (The Detour/Go On/Starved) - Laura stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Alec is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) - Jameela appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• David Alan Grier (The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie/DAG) - David visits The Real, so check your local listings.
• Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) - Michael is a guest on a repeat of ABC's GMA Day at 1pm.
• Lori Loughlin (Fuller House/Hudson Street/Full House) - Lori talks about Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Sunday feature! We do listen!

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Sitcoms Airing This Week

Sunday, December 16

none scheduled

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Monday, December 17

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Fundraiser" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Tina gets carried away when she tries to help Gemma ace her first fundraiser as school principal. Also, Dave aids Calvin in his efforts to win a special silent-auction prize for his mom.

Happy Together - "A Claire-Free Lifestyle" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Jake worries about their finances when Claire quits her job to pursue her passion. Also, Cooper turns to Bonnie and Gerald for financial advice.

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Tuesday, December 18

The Conners - "Tangled Up in Blue" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dave is in an unhappy marriage and uses his family vacation as an excuse to finally stand up to his nagging wife; the stress of the event sends Dave on an adventure he never could have dreamed of.

The Kids Are Alright - "Pilot" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Lawrence, the prodigal eldest Cleary son, returns home from the seminary and breaks the news to his family that he’s dropping out for good, leaving Mike and Peggy upset and wondering why. Meanwhile, Timmy decides he wants to audition for a children’s theatre production but when Peggy finds out where it’s being held, she forbids him from participating. Elsewhere, Eddie tries to keep his girlfriend a secret after Frank finds out and tries to blackmail him.

black-ish - "Gap Year" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After dropping Junior off at college, Dre and Bow are beside themselves when they find him back at home announcing his decision to take a gap year. Meanwhile, Jack and Diane begin to question whether they should still be sharing a room.

Splitting Up Together - "Sign Language" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The morning after Lena and Martin sleep together, Lena searches for signs that they are or aren’t meant to be a couple. Their relationship is put to the test after she organizes a romantic beach getaway and it becomes apparent what’s meant to be. Meanwhile, Arthur and Camille trail Lisa Apple, hoping to determine if she is pregnant with Martin’s baby. Elsewhere, Maya struggles to decide if she should tell her new boyfriend, Frank, about her pregnancy.

The Guest Book - "Someplace Other Than Here" (TBS, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Dave is in an unhappy marriage and uses his family vacation as an excuse to finally stand up to his nagging wife; the stress of the event sends Dave on an adventure he never could have dreamed of.

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Wednesday, December 19

Modern Family - "I Love a Parade" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan are going to be setting off more than a few fireworks when they get together at the annual Fourth of July parade where Jay will be acting as the grand marshal. Meanwhile, Haley’s goodbye with Arvin before his trip to Switzerland doesn’t go as well as she pictured it and is distracted by the return of an old flame.

Single Parents - "Beyoncé Circa Lemonade" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After scolding Miggy for not being able to sleep-train baby Jack, Angie and Douglas engage in a competition to see who can sleep-train the baby in one night. While Angie and Douglas have the baby, Miggy takes over babysitting Graham, Rory, Sophie, Emma and Amy, which results in an impromptu kids’ party. Meanwhile, Poppy teaches Will how to take out his anger on the volleyball court.

The Goldbergs - "We Didn't Start the Fire" (ABC, 10:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Erica tells Beverly she is going to spend the first night of Hanukkah with Geoff and his family, Beverly worries and starts a competition for who hosts the best Hanukkah party. Meanwhile, Barry seeks advice from Pops on how to be cool and suggests entering into the school's talent show.

American Housewife - "Body Image" (ABC, 10:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After the previous “fattest housewife” in Westport gets plastic surgery to lose weight, Chloe Brown Mueller rubs it in Katie’s face that Katie has now assumed that title. In order to get revenge on Chloe, Katie goes through great lengths to dig up bad photos of Chloe from high school. In discussing body image with the kids, Katie and her mother, Kathryn, turn out to be bad influences on Anna-Kat and Taylor, unintentionally encouraging them to focus too much on the outward appearance. Over time, Katie realizes how judgmental she has become and that she is part of the problem.

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Thursday, December 20

The Big Bang Theory - "The Tam Turbulence" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Sheldon won’t tell anyone why he’s never mentioned Tam (Robert Wu), his childhood best friend, Leonard takes matters into his own hands. Also, Bernadette and Penny take out Raj’s fiancée, Anu (Rati Gupta), for dinner to get the skinny on her. Jerry O’Connell returns as Sheldon’s brother, George.

Young Sheldon - "A High-Pitched Buzz and Training Wheels" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After Sheldon dismantles the refrigerator to stop an annoying hum, he gets a paper route to pay for the repairs.

The Big Bang Theory - "The Comet Polarization" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sheldon’s comic book store experiences changes when writer Neil Gaiman puts Stuart’s store on the map. Also, Koothrappali takes credit for Penny’s astronomical discovery, and friendships are threatened.

Murphy Brown - "Happy New Year" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The gang tries to distract Murphy from worrying about Avery’s assignment in Kabul by getting her to attend the special 100th anniversary New Year’s Eve celebration at Phil’s Bar. Charles Kimbrough returns as Jim Dial. MSNBC anchor and host Lawrence O'Donnell and NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent and MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell guest star as themselves. The episode was directed by Barnet Kellman, who directed 76 episodes of the original MURPHY BROWN series, including its pilot and the second half of the two-part finale for the show’s initial 10-year run.

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Friday, December 21

Last Man Standing - "Man vs. Myth" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After avoiding emotion after his father's death, Mike finally decides to have a heart-to-heart moment with him that he never had while he was alive.

The Cool Kids - "A Date with Destiny" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Charlie and Hank decide to create online dating profiles for themselves, but Sid takes the situation to an uncomfortable level.

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Saturday, December 22

none scheduled

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Sunday, December 23

Bob's Burgers - "Boywatch" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tina decides to join the Junior Lifeguards but struggles with the training; business booms when Bob and Linda offer free Wi-Fi at the restaurant but it is soon threatened by a cyberattack.

The Simpsons - "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Marge has to spend all the family's Christmas present money getting Bart's tattoo removed, so Homer gets a job as Santa but bets all his wages on a dog with a festive name.

Bob's Burgers - "Tweentrepreneurs" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tina, Louise and Gene get a taste of business when they join the school's Tweentrepeneurs club; Bob and Linda find themselves outsmarted by a dine-and-dasher.

Family Guy - "Don't Be a Dickens at Christmas" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
A selfish Peter loses his Christmas spirit and is visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.

Rel - "Kids First Visit" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Rel's kids come to visit for the first time since the split, he, Dad, Nat and Jess bring the kids to a Family Fun Center in Chicago.

Complete TV Listings

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing about a renewal of an ABC comedy, some new Peanuts content, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

I know I've talked about The Good Place a lot on this column, but it's the most exciting sitcom - or actually, TV show in general - right now, so I often have a lot of thoughts about it. This column will contain spoilers for last week's Good Place, so if you aren't caught up you might want to stop reading.

Last week, The Good Place seemed to begin to process of doing what I've wanted it to do since the first season - question the ethics of the show's afterlife, where the criteria to get into The Good Place seems nearly impossible. The episode reveals that no one has made it into the good place in 500 years. Now, it's entirely possible the show will walk this back, but it seems to me that the show is finally posting the moral questions it's been hinting at for so long. And what better place to do that than the actual good place? Yep - the show is supposedly in the actual good place at the end of the most recent episode. It's been three years coming, but it seems to finally be happening.

This is a really exciting direction for the show, especially given that parts of this season have felt a little slow, at least by the show's standards. The show spent the large bulk of Season 3 on Earth, which allowed for some interesting character work, but lacked the inventive fun of the first two seasons. Now, though, we seem to be fully back in the afterlife, and the show is once again toying with format, plot, and experimentation the way it did in its first two seasons. As we come to the end of its third season, I can't wait to see where The Good Place goes next.

Freeform has picked up Everything's Gonna Be Okay to series with a 10-episode order. From Please Like Me creator, writer and comedian Josh Thomas, and produced by Avalon Television and Freeform, the half-hour comedy introduces Nicholas (Josh Thomas), a neurotic 25-year-old still living at home with his single dad and two teenage half-sisters, one of which has autism. He is not particularly helpful in raising his siblings, but when their dad becomes terminally ill, the girls have to cope with not only a devastating loss but also the realization that Nicholas is the one who will have to hold it all together.

Thomas created the concept, wrote and stars in the pilot and will serve as showrunner with David Martin, Jon Thoday, and Richard Allen-Turner serving as executive producers for Avalon Television. Stephanie Swedlove and Kevin Whyte also serve as executive producers. The series will star Josh Thomas, Kayla Cromer, Maeve Press and Adam Faison.

The ABC Television Network will premiere the new dramas Whiskey Cavalier on Wednesday, Feb. 27 from 10:00-11:00 p.m. EST; The Fix on Monday, March 18 from 10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT; and Grand Hotel on Monday, June 17 from 10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT. Returning drama For The People will debut Season 2 on Thursday, March 7 at 10:00 p.m. EST. Following its highly anticipated winter finale airing last night, A Million Little Things returns on a new night, Thursday, Jan. 17 at 9:00 p.m. EST following Grey's Anatomy. As a result, Station 19 will return on Thursday, March 17 at 9:00 p.m. In alternative and reality programming, America's Funniest Home Videos expands to two hours starting Sunday, Jan. 6, followed by a two-hour block of Shark Tank. AFV starts the evening with a fan-favorite, previously aired installment at 7:00 p.m. EST, followed by a new episode at 8:00 p.m. EST. The family fun continues with Shark Tank, featuring one original episode at 9:00 p.m. EST and one previously aired edition at 10:00 p.m. EST.

ABC will launch its second season of the iconic American Idol on Sunday, March 3 from 8:00-10:01 p.m. EST. Idol is also expected to air Mondays from 8-10pm, as ABC will not air a spring edition of Dancing with the Stars this season. When American Idol premieres on Sundays, AFV original episodes will return to 7:00 p.m. EST, and new editions of Shark Tank will air 10:01 p.m. EST. A new season of Match Game premieres Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 10:00 p.m. EST following ABC Funny Wednesday comedies. As previously announced, the spinoff comedy Schooled also debuts on Jan. 9 at 8:30 p.m. EST, immediately following The Goldbergs at 8:00 p.m. EST; and American Housewife returns on its new night, Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 8:00 p.m. EST following the conclusion of the season of The Connors.

Eight weeks of two-hour 20/20 programming kicks off on Friday, Jan. 4 from 9:00-11:00 p.m. EST, and features brand-new interviews with key players in the biggest newsmaker stories in recent American history. Each documentary takes a look at these cases through a modern lens, challenges original perceptions, and sheds new light on each story.

truTV invites guests back into the rich, imaginative - and slightly deranged - world of At Home with Amy Sedaris when the Emmy(R)-nominated series returns for its second season Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT. Created by Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello (Strangers with Candy), the 10-episode season of this one-of-a-kind comedy will again feature Sedaris' signature brand of silliness as she showcases her decorating, cooking and crafting skills. This season, Sedaris welcomes an impressive list of guest stars, including: Rose Byrne, Matthew Broderick, Justin Theroux, Susan Sarandon, Gillian Jacobs, Juliette Lewis, Ellie Kemper, Fred Armisen, Michael Shannon, Ann Dowd, Martha Plimpton, Jessica Walter, Campbell Scott, Billy Crudup, Bridget Everett, Julie Klausner, Paul W. Downs, Janeane Garofalo, Richard Kind, Thomas Lennon, David Krumholtz, Ana Gasteyer, Darrell Hammond, Jackie Hoffman, John Early, James Monroe Iglehart, Matt Malloy, and more.

Each week of At Home with Amy Sedaris revolves around a conventional homemaking theme, with subversive twists taking segments in delightfully wacky directions. New topics explored this season include how to entertain teenagers, game nights, caring for the ill and makeovers. Hailed as "a disturbing and delicious beast" (The New York Times), "life-affirming" (The A.V. Club) and "bonkers DIY" (Variety), the series emerged as a critical hit in its debut season, garnering massive social engagement and earning an Emmy nomination in the Variety Sketch category, as well as a recent WGA Award nomination in the Comedy/Variety Sketch Series category.

Bless This Mess, a new single-camera comedy, has been picked up to series by ABC. The comedy, starring Lake Bell and Dax Shepard, is a co-production from 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios. Elizabeth Meriwether (Single Parents, New Girl) and Bell are executive producers and co-creators of the series, which will air next year (2019-2020 season) on The ABC Television Network. In Bless This Mess, a newlywed couple's (Bell, Shepard) plan to ditch big city living for a simpler life in Nebraska doesn't go as expected. Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar (Fresh Off the Boat, Speechless) are non-writing executive producers, as are Shepard and Katherine Pope. Bell also directed the pilot. The original pilot was passed on by Fox in May and starred Lake Bell, Dax Shepard, Ed Begley Jr., Christina Offley, J.T. Neal and Pam Grier.

Premium pay television network EPIX(R), an MGM company, has renewed its original dark comedy Get Shorty for a third season. The dark comedy from MGM Television, based in part on the 1990's bestselling Elmore Leonard novel of the same name and created for television by Davey Holmes (Shameless, In Treatment) will return in 2019 with all-new episodes. The series follows Miles Daly (Chris O'Dowd), muscle for a Nevada crime ring who tries to become a movie producer in Hollywood with the help of a washed-up producer, Rick Moreweather (Ray Romano), as a means to leave his criminal past behind. In season two, Miles struggles to reconcile his ambitions as a filmmaker and a family man with his skill set as a career criminal. His progress in Hollywood is jeopardized when the washed-up producer, with whom he partnered in season one, agrees to wear a Federal wire. In season three, Miles embraces more ruthless methods as he settles scores and attempts to climb the Hollywood ladder.

The cast of Get Shorty season three is led by Screen Actors Guild Award(R) and BAFTA TV Award nominee O'Dowd (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, The Sapphires, Bridesmaids) and multiple Emmy(R) winner Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond, Men of a Certain Age, Parenthood), and also includes Sean Bridgers (Rectify, Room), Lidia Porto (Horrible Bosses 2), Carolyn Dodd (The Adventures of Catty Wompus), Goya Robles (11:55), Megan Stevenson (Review), Steven Weber (Ballers, Wings) and Sarah Stiles (I'm Dying Up Here).

Mark your calendars as Lifetime presents an all-star slate of biopics featuring remarkable women with incredible stories - Nellie Bly, Victoria Gotti and Olivia Newton-John - along with two new intense thrillers inspired by true stories for its winter 2019 movie slate. Headlined by Christina Ricci, Judith Light, Marcia Gay Harden, Kellie Martin, Victoria Gotti and Delta Goodrem, Lifetime will feature five weeks of premieres every Saturday at 8pm PT/ET, beginning January 19. Movies include:

Golden Globe and Emmy Nominees
Christina Ricci, Judith Light and Josh Bowman
Kick Off the Premieres with Biopic of Pioneering Investigative Reporter in
Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story
January 19

Academy Award Winner Marcia Gay Harden Headlines
Love You to Death
January 26

Kellie Martin Returns for the Remake of Cult Classicv Death of a Cheerleader
Starring Aubrey Peeples and Sarah Dugdale
February 2

Victoria Gotti Executive Produces and Narrates
Victoria Gotti: My Father's Daughter
Starring Chelsea Frei and Maurice Benard
February 9

International Sensation Delta Goodrem Takes Center Stage in
Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You
February 16

That's the signpost up ahead: next stop for John Cho, Allison Tolman and Jacob Tremblay is The Twilight Zone. They are the latest actors to join the cast of CBS All Access' highly anticipated original series and will star in the episode "The Wunderkind." Erica Tremblay will also appear in this episode. Previously announced cast members include host and narrator Jordan Peele in addition to Sanaa Lathan, Adam Scott and Kumail Nanjiani. The original The Twilight Zone premiered on Oct. 2, 1959 on CBS. The series took viewers to another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. The Twilight Zone became a worldwide phenomenon as it used socially conscious storytelling to explore the human condition and culture of the times. It was a journey into a wondrous land of imagination for five years on CBS, from 1959 to 1964. The godfather of sci-fi series, the show explored humanity's hopes, despairs, prides and prejudices in metaphoric ways conventional dramas could not. Every episode of the original series is available to stream now on CBS All Access.

Created by and starring Pete Holmes, the critically acclaimed comedy series Crashing returns for its eight-episode third season Sunday, Jan. 20 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Executive produced by Pete Holmes, Judd Apatow (HBO's Girls and The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling), Judah Miller (Playing House) and Igor Srubshchik (Master of None), the series draws on Holmes' own experiences as a comedian, providing a nuanced, hilarious look at the state of comedy today. Fresh off of his two-month college comedy tour, Pete returns to New York City with newfound confidence in his comedic abilities. While growing more assured, he continues to struggle over what he really wants out of comedy and how to find a happy balance between his old, faith-based self and the new, more ambitious comic he's becoming.

Crashing's third season finds Pete reinvigorated - and no longer crashing on people's couches - as he reenters the NYC stand-up comedy world following his college tour. But even though he's improved, that doesn't mean he's at the head of the pack. While continuing to orbit around fellow comic and ex-girlfriend Ali (Jamie Lee), he connects with a new woman, Kat (Madeline Wise), who has a unique perspective on the comedy world and isn't trying to make it big by telling jokes. As Pete edges closer to success one stand-up set at a time, he continues to navigate his faith, dating and the ever-changing comedy scene.

Series veterans featured on season three of Crashing include: Lauren Lapkus (HBO's Animals) as Pete's ex-wife, Jessica; George Basil (Wrecked) as Leif, Jessica's former lover; Jamie Lee (Girl Code) as fellow comic and former love interest Ali Reissen; Zach Cherry (You) as Pete's manager, "Chicken Wing"; Dov Davidoff (Shades of Blue) as Jason; Jermaine Fowler (Superior Donuts) as Russell; and Aparna Nancherla (BoJack Horseman) as Anaya. Madeline Wise (Peacekeepers) joins the series in the recurring role of Kat, an outgoing city girl who inspires Pete to get serious about his career. Returning guest comics Dave Attell, Artie Lange and John Mulaney appear as versions of themselves. Other established talents making appearances this season are: Ray Romano, Amy Schumer, Estee Adoram, Wayne Federman, Greg Fitzsimmons, Chris Gethard, Kevin Brennan, Elon Gold, Joyelle Johnson, Jessica Kirson, Emo Philips, Colin Quinn, Vanessa Ramos, Modi Rosenfeld, Wil Sylvinces, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Jaboukie Young-White.

Nickelodeon's all-new buddy comedy series, Cousins for Life, will premiere on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The live-action multi-camera series follows 12-year-old cousins and best friends Stuart (Dallas Dupree Young) and Ivy (Scarlet Spencer) as they learn to navigate life under one roof with their families in Portland, despite being from very different backgrounds. Although the cousins don't always see eye-to-eye, they learn that they are better together, and when they team up they are unstoppable. Cousins for Life will air weekly on Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. In the premiere episode, Ivy and Stuart's life is disrupted after their dads, Clark (Ishmel Sahid) and Lewis (Ron G.), have a disagreement and Clark ends up moving into their hangout space in the garage. It's now their missions to resolve their dads' argument and reclaim their space. The episode also stars Micah Abbey as Ivy's brother Leaf, who's always having a good time when he's with his pet pig, Arthur.

It's Sunday, 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 December 10-14, 2018, 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, December 10

• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen/The Ellen Show) - Watch Ellen on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Pete Holmes (Crashing) - Pete appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• John Mulaney (Mulaney) - John stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Vanessa Hudgens (Powerless) - Vanessa is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) - Bryan drops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Sean Hayes (Will & Grace/Sean Saves the World) - Sean appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Wilmer Valderrama (That 70s Show) - Wilmer is a guest on E!'s Busy Tonight at 10pm.
• Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Steve visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Sherri Shepherd (Less Than Perfect/Sherri) - Sherri appears on The Real, so check your local listings.
• Odette Annable (Breaking In) - Odette and her husband Dave talk about Freeform's No Sleep 'Til Christmas on Access Live (check your local listings), on E! News at 7pm on E! and on KTLA 5 in Los Angeles at 9:15am PT.
• Robert Townsend (The Parent 'Hood) - Robert talks about Making the Five Heartbeats on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Jake Johnson (New Girl) - Jake talks about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on ABC's GMA Day at 1pm and on the BUILD Series at 1pm.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah will be on ABC's GMA Day at 1pm.
• Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Miley can be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.

Tuesday, December 11

• Ron Livingston (Loudermilk/Search Party) - Catch Ron on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Whoopi Goldberg (Whoopi/Bagdad Cafe) - Whoopi visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Adam Pally (Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Vanessa Hudgens (Powerless) - Vanessa stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Nicole Byer (Loosely Exactly Nicole) - Nicole is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen/The Ellen Show) - Ellen drops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jenny McCarthy (Two and a Half Men/Jenny) - Jenny appears on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Maura Tierney (NewsRadio) - Maura is a guest on E!'s Busy Tonight at 10pm.
• Kathy Bates (Disjointed) - Kathy chats on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Ashton Kutcher (The Ranch/Two and a Half Men/That 70s Show) - Ashton guest co-hosts The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek/Greg the Bunny/Hiller and Diller) and Catherine O'Hara (Schitt's Creek) - Eugene and Catherine are guests on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Alfonso Ribeiro (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/In the House/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso and his wife Angela discuss holiday hacks on Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah talks about Second Act on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) - Jameela talks about The Good Place on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Dan Bucatinsky (Marry Me/Web Therapy/The Comeback) - Dan talks about Second Act on People Now at 12pm.
• Marlo Thomas (That Girl) - Marlo discusses the season of giving thanks and the amazing efforts of St. Jude on the BUILD Series at 2pm.

Wednesday, December 12

• Brandon Micheal Hall (The Mayor/Search Party) - Watch Brandon on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Anthony Atamanuik (The President Show) - Anthony visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) - Jameela stops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse is a guest on E!'s Busy Tonight at 10pm.
• Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Jodie Sweetin (Fuller House/Hollywood Darlings/Full House) and Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Jodie and Valerie guest co-host The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT. Jodie also talks about Hallmark Channel's Entertaining Christmas on Access Live and Extra, so check your local listings.
• Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Keke Palmer (True Jackson, VP/Scream Queens) - Keke is a guest on The Real, so check your local listings.
• Dan Bucatinsky (Marry Me/Web Therapy/The Comeback) - Dan talks about Second Act on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Eva Longoria (Telenovela) - Eva will be on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Ashley Williams (The Jim Gaffigan Show/How I Met Your Mother/Good Morning, Miami) - Ashley talks about Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Northern Christmas Lights on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Vanessa Hudgens (Powerless) - Vanessa talks about Second Act on the BUILD Series at 2pm.

Thursday, December 13

• Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Catch Miley on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Regina King (227) - Regina appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. She also talks about If Beale Street Could Talk on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
• Adam Pally (Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Champaign ILL on the BUILD Series at 1pm and on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Ron Funches (Powerless/Undateable) - Ron visits Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah drops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Jodie Sweetin (Fuller House/Hollywood Darlings/Full House) - Jodie guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT. She also talks about Hallmark Channel's Entertaining Christmas on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT and on KTLA in Los Angeles.
• Sam Rockwell (F Is for Family) - Sam is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Busy Philipps (Vice Principals/Cougar Town) - Busy talks about E!'s Busy Tonight on Access Live (check your local listings) and on E!'s Daily Pop at 12pm.
• Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) and Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years/Sullivan & Son) - Danica and Dan talk about Hallmark Channel's Christmas at Grand Valley on Access Live, so check your local listings.
• Karen Gillan (Selfie) - Karen talks about The Party's Just Beginning on ABC's GMA Day at 1pm.
• Ashley Williams (The Jim Gaffigan Show/How I Met Your Mother/Good Morning, Miami) - Ashley talks about Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Northern Christmas Lights on People Now at 12pm.

Friday, December 14

• Karen Gillan (Selfie) - Watch Karen on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She talks about The Party's Just Beginning on the BUILD Series at 2pm.
• Tony Shalhoub (Wings/We Are Men) - Watch Tony on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle, Laura Linney (The Big C) and Nick Kroll (The League/Cavemen) - Bryan, Laura and Nick make special guest appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Bill Burr (F Is for Family/Townies) - Bill is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Busy Philipps (Vice Principals/Cougar Town) - Busy appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Romany Malco (Weeds/Blunt Talk) - Romany is a guest on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Kathryn Hahn (I Love Dick/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn talks about the film Private Life on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
• Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Office) - Ellie appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Minnie Driver (Speechless/About a Boy) - Minnie is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah visits The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
• Angela Kinsey (The Office/Haters Back Off/Your Family or Mine/The Hotwives of Orlando) - Angela and her husband Joshua Snyder serve up monkey bread and chocolate peppermint cupcakes on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Vanessa Hudgens (Powerless) - Vanessa talks about Second Act on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Chris Elliott (Schitt's Creek/Get a Life) - Chris talks about Clara's Ghost on Couch Surfing at 8am.
• Tia Mowry (Instant Mom/The Game/Sister, Sister) - Tia talks about Hallmark Channel's A Gingerbread Romance on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Christine Lakin (Hollywood Darlings/Step by Step) - Christine is a guest on Steve, so check your local listings.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Sunday feature! We do listen!

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Sitcoms Airing This Week

Sunday, December 9

The Simpsons - "'Tis the 30th Season" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
After a failed Black Friday shopping spree, Marge is determined to fix Christmas; Homer and the kids surprise Marge with a vacation to a Florida resort.

Bob's Burgers - "Better Off Sled" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Teenagers take over the Belchers' sledding territory, inciting an epic turf war; Bob steps in to help Linda, who's in a time crunch to get three scarves knitted before Christmas.

Family Guy - "Pawtucket Pete" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The brewery's new bosses decide to change the company's mascot; in an attempt to be crowned the new face of Pawtucket Ale, Peter and Brian go head-to-head.

Rel - "Hate & Hip Hop" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
One of Rel's patients is prejudiced and Rel is conflicted on how to behave as his attending nurse; everyone is obsessing over Brittany's ex-boyfriend's awful new rap song.

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Monday, December 10

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Stolen Sneakers" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Malcolm is robbed and won’t reveal the culprit, Calvin and Dave team up to crack the case of the missing sneakers. Also, Tina takes a unique approach to teaching Gemma self-defense.

Happy Together - "Home Insecurity" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When one of Cooper’s stalkers sneaks into Jake and Claire’s house, they reluctantly decide to install a home security system.

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Tuesday, December 11

The Conners - "O Sister, Where Art Thou?" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Becky helps Harris keep a secret from Darlene, it opens up a can of worms that causes a rift between the two sisters. Jackie supports Peter with his Nordic history project, and Dan reunites with an old friend.

The Kids Are Alright - "Christmas 1972" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Peggy’s successful brother, Tom, drops in for Christmas, Mike immediately oozes with jealousy. Thus begins Mike’s one-sided competition with Tom, using his kids as pawns to help. After Tom gives the Clearys an extravagant Christmas gift, pride prevents Mike from taking it – putting him at odds with the rest of the family. Meanwhile, Timmy mistakenly receives $100 from his great-aunt for Christmas and contemplates whether he should do “the right thing” or keep it. Elsewhere, Eddie forgets to get Wendi a Christmas present and panic sets in.

black-ish - "Christmas in Theater Eight" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The Johnsons have a tradition of going to the movies on Christmas and they can never agree on what to see. Dre wants to see an important film about Rosa Parks, but they all want to see the latest action-packed superhero blockbuster. Meanwhile, Junior becomes embarrassed about taking a gap year after he runs into his ex-girlfriend Megan at the theater.

Splitting Up Together - "Messy" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
After Lena and Vlad’s unexpected kiss, things get more complicated as they begin their new work partnership while working with a new client. Elsewhere, Martin goes to Paige’s house for more privacy and gets a glimpse into what a more typical divorced home life is, causing him to become uneasy. Back at home, Mason and Mae go head-to-head after Mae finds out that Mason has a crush on a pretentious girl at school.

The Guest Book - "Everybody Loves Clark" (TBS, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Tommy surprises Nikki with a spontaneous wedding ceremony; both are blithely oblivious to the fact that Vivian is kidnapping their child; some familiar faces from Mt. Trace return to sort things out.

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Wednesday, December 12

The Goldbergs - "Yippee Ki Yay Melon Farmer" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Much to Beverly’s chagrin, Barry is thrilled that he gets to celebrate Christmas now that he is engaged to Lainey. Meanwhile, Murray’s brother Marvin (Dan Fogler) makes a promise to Adam with a surprising outcome.

American Housewife - "Saving Christmas" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Katie strives to keep her long-separated parents apart when her father, Marty (Patrick Duffy), arrives in time to surprise the Otto family for Christmas. Anna-Kat does her best to help Trip win Taylor back but has a hard time getting past a very persistent Pierce (Milo Manheim). Meanwhile, Oliver thinks no one will remember him as the mask-wearing villain in the school’s production of “The Nutcracker” but quickly takes center stage when a series of mishaps damages his costume.

Modern Family - "Stuck in a Moment" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Hayley wants to give the family a Christmas gift they will never forget if she can just figure out the perfect time. Meanwhile, Claire is mad that Phil has once again borrowed the family Christmas tree for a house-showing; and Jay, Gloria and Joe have to deal with some unwelcome visitors over the holidays.

Single Parents - "The Magic Box" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Owen shows up unexpectedly on Christmas Eve with a gift for Angie, she desperately seeks out help from Will finding a present for Owen last minute. While doing so, Angie learns how bad Will is at giving Sophie good Christmas presents, or so it seems. While Graham begins to doubt the existence of Santa Claus altogether, the group worries Miggy may still believe in him. Meanwhile, Douglas invites Poppy, who is dealing with her first Christmas without Rory, to compete in a series of cutthroat Christmas-themed competitions.

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Thursday, December 13

The Big Bang Theory - "The Procreation Calculation" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Wolowitzes’ life gets complicated when Stuart starts bringing his new girlfriend home. Also, Penny and Leonard talk about starting a family while Koothrappali explores an arranged marriage. Keith Carradine returns as Penny’s father, Wyatt.

Young Sheldon - "Gluons, Guacamole, and the Color Purple" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Sheldon is no longer academically challenged at Medford High, he audits a college class taught by Dr. John Sturgis (Wallace Shawn).

Mom - "Foot Powder and Five Feet of Vodka" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Christy’s search for the perfect Secret Santa gift leads her to discover Adam has been hiding something from Bonnie. Also, Tammy looks for a job in order to avoid being sent back to prison.

Murphy Brown - "AWOL" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
A disillusioned Avery seeks career inspiration from his extended family at “Murphy in the Morning,” as the team tries to salvage a major story that hinges on a source in the Middle East who has gone silent. Series star Joe Regalbuto directed the episode.

Superstore - "Shadowing Glenn" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Glenn (Mark McKinney) drives Amy (America Ferrera) crazy with a new, over the top training system. Cheyenne (Nichole Bloom) and Mateo (Nico Santos) brainstorm a new business, while Dina (Lauren Ash) recruits Jonah (Ben Feldman) to help her when she starts second-guessing her own future.

I Feel Bad - "We're Not Fun Anymore" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Emet grows tired of her and David's life being overrun by kid-centric events, she contrives a weekend without the kids to rekindle the fun in their relationship - only to find out his idea of fun isn't the same as hers anymore. Chewey and Norman are stuck caring for Griff after he injures himself.

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Friday, December 14

Fresh Off the Boat - "Cousin Eddie" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The battle begins between mother and son when Eddie informs Jessica that he wants to spend Christmas with friend Nicole in New York. But Jessica insists that tradition prevails and he needs to spend the holiday with the family, so he does everything within his power to try and get her to crack and allow him to go. Meanwhile, Louis and Evan do their best to try and help an overwhelmed Emery decide on which one of his numerous friends to invite to the family’s Christmas Eve dinner.

Speechless - "J-I-- JINGLE T-H-- THON" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A Christmas tree fire leads Maya to tell a small lie with big consequences. Meanwhile, Ray struggles to live in Pepper’s shadow as Dylan twists the knife, and JJ encourages Kenneth to stand up to his sisters (guest stars Niecy Nash and Lisa Leslie).

I Love Lucy - "I Love Lucy Christmas Special" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
I LOVE LUCY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL features “The Christmas Episode” and the newly colorized “Pioneer Women.” Both were colorized with a nod to the 1950s period in which they were filmed. The main titles and end credits are seamlessly combined into one set at the beginning and end of the hour, with no interruption between the episodes.

“The Christmas Episode” finds the Ricardos and Mertzes decorating Lucy and Ricky’s Christmas tree and reminiscing about how their lives have changed since the arrival of the Ricardos’ son, Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux). Flashbacks recall the night Lucy tells Ricky she is pregnant, the time Lucy shows up unexpectedly as part of a barbershop quartet, and the day Ricky and the Mertzes rehearse taking Lucy to the maternity ward.

“The Christmas Episode” was first broadcast on CBS on Christmas Eve, 1956. The episode was not included in the series’ long history of rebroadcasts, first on CBS Daytime and later in syndication. Long thought to be lost, the program was rediscovered by CBS in 1989.

In “Pioneer Women,” Lucy and Ethel’s hopes of joining the posh Society Matrons’ League leads to a bet with their husbands over which sex – the men or the women – had it harder living in a bygone era. They select the turn of the last century, and as Lucy and Ethel start to bake their own bread and churn their own butter, the men become acquainted with straight-blade shaving and riding home from work on horseback. They all have some “‘splainin’” to do when two ladies from the Society Matrons’ League stop by for an unexpected visit.

“Pioneer Women” was originally broadcast on March 31, 1952, and became an immediate viewer favorite.

The Dick Van Dyke Show - "The Dick Van Dyke Show -- Now in Living Color!" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The special features the season one episode “Where Did I Come From,” written by Carl Reiner, and the season four episode “Never Bathe on Saturday,” also written by Reiner. The main titles and end credits of the two episodes are seamlessly combined into one set – at the beginning and end of the hour – with no interruption between the episodes.

The Emmy Award-winning series starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore as television comedy writer Rob and his wife, Laura Petrie; Larry Matthews as their son, Ritchie; Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie as Buddy Sorrell and Sally Rogers, co-writers on the fictional “The Alan Brady Show”; Carl Reiner as Alan Brady; Richard Deacon as Mel Cooley; Jerry Paris as Dr. Jerry Helper; and Ann Morgan Guilbert as Millie Krumbermacher Helper.

In “Where Did I Come From,” 6-year-old Ritchie asks his parents the inevitable “where did I come from?” question, and they recall the days before his birth. The episode was first presented on Jan. 3, 1961 during the series’ first season.

In “Never Bathe on Saturday,” the Petries’ romantic second honeymoon becomes a disaster when Laura’s toe gets caught in a bath spout. The episode was first presented on March 31, 1965, during season four.

Last Man Standing - "The Gift of the Mike Guy" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Vanessa helps the family realize the importance of its long-standing holiday family traditions.

The Cool Kids - "Margaret Dates the Zodiac Killer" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Margaret begins dating Karl, a fellow resident who may or may not be the "Zodiac Killer."

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Saturday, December 15

none scheduled

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Sunday, December 16

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're getting close to Christmas, but for some reason, the news isn't exactly slowing down as it usually does this time of the year! This week, we're hearing about more reboots, a costly renewal of Friends for Netflix (and it'll likely only be there for one more year), and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

As sitcoms move more towards cable and streaming, one "art" that I fear is becoming a bit lost is holiday episodes. Truthfully, one of the more exciting aspects of a sitcom used to be how you could spend the entire year with your favorite characters. They would be with you as you celebrated Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and even through each season. This, of course, is when each sitcom would run for the whole year. Now that sitcoms are becoming more and more like the rest of TV, moving towards shorter, more contained seasons, the holiday episode has gone to the wayside in some respects.

Granted, some sitcoms - especially network sitcoms - still do holiday episodes each year, and do them well. Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Halloween episodes are a staple. Superstore depicts the retail craziness of the holiday season brilliantly. However, there are so many great shows that we'll never really see a holiday episode of, or at least, not on an annual basis like we once did. It's just one of the many ways that sitcoms have changed as television itself has changed as a medium. Granted, many of these changes are for the positive, and in general I think it benefits TV to move towards this direction. However, I'll miss the traditions like holiday specials. Some shows have gotten around this - for example, BoJack Horseman dropped a surprise Christmas episode in the December after its first season. It'd be cool if more shows were able to do that - if not, then I guess it's just another TV tradition that will one day be of the past.

FXX and Fox have joined forces to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Simpsons with two special events this month. On Sunday, December 16, FXX will air a 15-hour marathon featuring episodes specifically curated for this special programming event by executive producer Al Jean. The 30-episode marathon begins at 9 a.m. ET/PT and ends at midnight on FXX, cable's exclusive home for The Simpsons. One week later, Fox will air a special encore of The Simpsons first-ever full-length episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire," on Sunday, December 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. In this encore of the 1989 Christmas special, Homer (Dan Castellaneta) tries to earn extra money to buy Christmas presents for the family, and everything he does goes wrong. Fortunately, he is rescued by Santa's Little Helper. All-new episodes from the 30th season of The Simpsons air Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

AT&T Audience Network has picked up its original comedy series Loudermilk for a 3rd season. Production for the 10 30-minute episodes is scheduled to begin in spring in Vancouver with the premiere launching later in the year. Big Branch Productions will continue to co-produce the scripted series. Peter Farrelly (Green Book, Dumb and Dumber, There's Something About Mary) and Emmy(R) Award-winning writer Bobby Mort (The Colbert Report) will serve as writer-creators and executive producers. Farrelly, Mort, AT&T AUDIENCE Network's Shane Elrod and Kate Regan and Big Branch Productions' Bart Peters will also serve as executive producers.

After a relapse in New Orleans and a falling out with his best friend and sponsor, Ben (Will Sasso), Loudermilk (Ron Livingston) is back in Seattle for season 2 trying to piece his world back together. With his "Sober Friends" meeting hijacked, a messy new relationship, and a stumbling start back into writing, Loudermilk is forced to do a little soul searching (which he hates) and decide what he wants from life. While he still has the ability to help those around him, Loudermilk just may find that the person who needs the most work is himself.

SYFY's New Year's Eve marathon of The Twilight Zone is returning for its 23rd year beginning Sunday, December 30 at 11pm ET/PT and running through Wednesday, January 2 at 6am ET/PT. Fans of a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity will have plenty to celebrate in the new year as The Twilight Zone, which originally aired in 1959, will be celebrating its 60th anniversary. Some of the fan-favorites included in this year's 112 episode lineup will be "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (Starring William Shatner), "A Quality of Mercy" (Starring Leonard Nimoy), "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street," "The Invaders" and "The Encounter" (Starring George Takei).

NBC has picked up a fourth season of its popular and critically acclaimed Thursday night comedy The Good Place. The episode order is yet to be determined. The Good Place stars Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto and D'Arcy Carden. Michael Schur, David Miner, Morgan Sackett and Drew Goddard executive produce.

Nickelodeon's Henry Danger, the number-one live-action show on TV with K2-11 and K6-11 (through 11/28/18), will pass the 100-episode mark, with an additional ten-episode pickup announced. The order brings the series' total to 117, making Henry Danger Nickelodeon's longest-running live-action sitcom. Nickelodeon is currently airing Henry Danger season five. In the 100th episode full of fan surprises, titled "Man Cave Self Destruct," after Schwoz's family reunion causes chaos in the Man Cave, Captain Man reveals a "Superheroes Only" room in the Man Cave for peace and quiet. Jealous, Charlotte, Jasper and Schwoz make a cooler room to show them up. As the gang fights over who gets the better room, things get blown out of proportion.

Henry Danger follows the adventures of Henry Hart (Jace Norman) who gets selected by superhero Captain Man (Cooper Barnes) to be his apprentice. After promising to keep his new identity a secret, Henry must navigate a double life balancing the challenges of high school with the crazy adventures of a crime fighter. The series also stars Riele Downs as "Charlotte Page," Sean Ryan Fox as "Jasper Dunlop," Ella Anderson as "Piper Hart," Michael D. Cohen as "Schwoz Schwartz," and Jeffrey Nicholas Brown as "Jake Hart." To date Nickelodeon has three live-action sitcom that have eclipsed one hundred episodes: The Thundermans reached its 100-episode milestone earlier this year; iCarly hit 100 episodes in 2012.

The only thing better than bears, beets, and Battlestar Galactica is ringing in the New Year with The Office on COZI TV! Don't drop an entire pot of chili just yet, as season one and season two of everyone's favorite workplace sitcom will debut on the national multicast network on January 1, 2019 beginning at 10 AM (check local listings) and then begin airing in its regular time period, a two-hour block starting at 10 PM ET.

Based on the British series of the same name, The Office premiering on NBC in 2005 and featured Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and Rainn Wilson in leading roles. Running for nine seasons and totaling 201 episodes, the show was lauded for its trademark deadpan style, with no laugh-track or music bed, and helped to popularize the "mockumentary" style in American television. It received numerous awards during its initial television run, including five Emmy® Awards.

The series features Michael Scott, the eccentric manager of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton, PA branch; Dwight Schrute, the overly loyal assistant to the regional manager; and Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly, a couple viewers have rooted for since season one. Episodes included in the New Year's Day debut include "Basketball," where Michael pits the office staff against the warehouse staff in a game of basketball to determine who has to work on a Saturday. It also includes "The Dundies," featuring the Dunder Mifflin staff at an awards ceremony employees hosted at a local Chili's, along with "Booze Cruise," a fan favorite and another landmark in the Jim-Pam rollercoaster romance.

Jameela Jamil has signed on to host The Misery Index, TBS' recently announced game show inspired by the card game Sh*t Happens. Jameela will serve as the show's ringleader, delivering entertainingly cringeworthy questions to each team using her quick-witted humor and unwavering ability to call things as she sees them. The Tenderloins comedy troupe and stars of truTV's Impractical Jokers comprised of Brian "Q" Quinn, James "Murr" Murray, Joe Gatto and Sal Vulcano also star in the series as recurring panelists, drawing on their expertise in humiliation to help contestants evaluate life's misfortunes. The game show will feature two teams, each consisting of one contestant and two Tenderloins. Teams will compete against each other by attempting to rate hilarious and miserable real-life events on a scale of 1-100 based on the "Misery Index," a ranking system created by a team of therapists. For example, is getting a third degree burn worse than seeing your father naked? Is it worse than dropping your phone in the toilet?

Jamil can currently be seen starring in the comedy The Good Place on NBC. She started her career as the host of the British breakfast TV program Freshly Squeezed for station T4. Jamil went on to host Channel 4's Koko Pop, E4's cult series Playing It Straight and BBC Radio 1's Request Show on Sunday evenings, which led to her role as the first female host of BBC Radio 1's The Official Chart Show.

Comedy Central is working with ascendant multi-hyphenate Awkwafina, as the #1 brand in comedy ordered 10 episodes of her self-titled scripted series. Awkwafina is a half-hour scripted narrative starring writer, actor and rapper Awkwafina (Ocean's 8, Crazy Rich Asians) as a twenty-something living in Queens, striving for a larger than life existence while living with her father and grandmother. Awkwafina, Karey Dornetto (SMILF, Portlandia) and Teresa Hsiao (Family Guy, American Dad) wrote the pilot directed by Lucia Aniello (Broad City, Rough Night). The cast is rounded out by Bowen Yang as Awkwafina's more successful cousin, BD Wong as her father, and Lori Tan Chinn as her grandmother.

Looking ahead, Comedy Central has a stacked year to offer fans with a programming slate that will feature new and returning series including: the premieres of scripted half-hour series Robbie, The Other Two and South Side; sketch-comedy series Alternatino with Arturo Castro; stand-up series This Week at the Comedy Cellar and The New Negroes; new series from Jordan Klepper and Anthony Jeselnik; along with the final season of Broad City, the return of the critically acclaimed Corporate, and new seasons of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Tosh.0, Drunk History, The Jim Jefferies Show and much, much more.

Actor Ken Berry, who starred in F Troop, Mayberry R.F.D. and Mama's Family, has died. He died on December 1 in Burbank, California. Mr. Berry was 85.

Berry's early television guest appearances included Talent Patrol, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, Playboy's Penthouse and Harrigan and Son. He had a recurring role as Woody, a bellhop at a New York hotel called the Bartley House, in the CBS sitcom The Ann Sothern Show from 1960 to 1961. He appeared in seven episodes of Ensign O'Toole as Calucci / Lt. Melton from 1962 to 1963. Some of his other 1960s sitcom guest appearances included The Jim Backus Show, Peter Loves Mary, Hennesey, The Gertrude Berg Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show (two episodes), Hazel, No Time for Sergeants (three episodes), The Lucy Show and The Andy Griffith Show (four episodes as Sam Jones).

His first sitcom starring role was as Captain Wilton Parmenter in the 1965-1967 ABC sitcom F Troop. He was the gallant although laughably clumsy military governor of the territory and commander of Fort Courage. The series, which ran for two seasons, also starred Forrest Tucker, Larry Storch, Melody Patterson, Frank de Kova, Don Diamond, James Hampton, Bob Steele and Joe Brooks.

He appeared in the last few episodes of The Andy Griffith Show as Sam Jones, a widowed farmer with a young son, in 1968. Berry continued to play the character in the spin-off series Mayberry R.F.D., which premiered on CBS on September 23, 1968. It ran for three seasons and 78 episodes until the rural purge of 1971. The series also starred Frances Bavier (1968-1970), George Lindsay, Jack Dodson, Paul Hartman, Arlene Golonka, Buddy Foster and Alice Ghostley.

Berry had a long working relationship with Carol Burnett. He made 19 guest appearances on The Carol Burnett Show from 1968 to 1978. They appeared together in the 1972 CBS color remake of Burnett's Broadway hit, Once Upon a Mattress. He played Phillip, Eunice's brother, in the 1982 CBS TV movie Eunice, which was based on The Carol Burnett Show sketch, The Family.

He starred as Vinton Harper in Mama's Family, which was a spin-off from The Carol Burnett Show. Vinton was the youngest of Thelma Harper's three children. He was married to Naomi Oates Harper. The series aired for two seasons on NBC from 1983 to 1984 and four seasons in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1990. It starred Vicki Lawrence, Rue McClanahan (1983-1984), Dorothy Lyman, Eric Brown (1983-1984), Karin Argoud (1983-1984), Betty White (1983-1984, 1986), Allan Kayser (1986-1990) and Beverly Archer (1986-1990).

Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style, The Brady Bunch, The Love Boat, Gimme a Break!, Small Wonder, The Golden Girls and Maggie Winters.

He appeared in television dramas. He provided comic relief as Dr. John Kapish in 25 episodes of Dr. Kildare, which starred Richard Chamberlain, from 1961 to 1964. Some of his drama guest appearances included Michael Shayne, General Electric Theatre, Mr. Novak, Burke's Law, Combat!, The Rogues, Rawhide, 12 O'Clock High, Medical Center, Ellery Queen, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, Little House on the Prairie, CHiPs and Fantasy Island.

Some of his film credits included the 1969 musical comedy Hello Down There, Guardian of the Wilderness and Disney's Herbie Rides Again and The Cat from Outer Space.

Berry was also an accomplished dancer and singer. He appeared on Broadway in The Billy Barnes Revue and headlined as George M. Cohan in the musical George M!. Some of his other theater credits included The Music Man, I Do! I Do!, Sugar and 1993's From the Top with Carol Burnett. In 1970, he released an album called Ken Berry RFD. He appeared in two episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1964 as dance instructor Tony Daniels. He had his own short-lived summer musical variety series called The Ken Berry "Wow" Show on ABC in 1972. He worked as a choreographer on several episodes of Mama's Family.

He was interviewed for the Archive of American Television for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on March 7, 2012.

Mr. Berry was a man of many talents as an actor, dancer and singer. He stated in interviews that he was most proud of his work on F Troop, but he made everything he appeared in much better. He just seemed like a genuine, likable man. We thank him for the many laughs and hours of entertainment that he brought us during his long career. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our F Troop, Mayberry R.F.D. and Mama's Family message boards. View photos in our galleries.