SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

• We hinted several weeks ago that more "surprises" from the Fox library were in the works at Shout! Factory, but we weren't prepared to let the cat out of the bag just yet. Now, it appears that Hill Street Blues - The Complete Series (one of the series we heard rumors regarding) IS on the way! We're still awaiting confirmation on the continuation at least one other Fox series (a classic '70s sitcom... hopefully this is a huge hint) that is believed to also be in the works from Shout!, and we'll let you know more when we have something more solid.
• MPI has a tendency to release complete series of a lot of series once they finish the individual season releases, and now Here's Lucy - The Complete Series is in the works for a March 25 release. If previous complete series releases from MPI are any indication, it will likely just be all of the individual seasons (which had plenty of special features) in one package.
• The ABC series The Middle seemed to be stuck in DVD purgatory in 2012 when the fourth season debuted, with no sign of season 3 DVDs in sight, but those eventually came... and now, it seems that The Middle - The Complete Fourth Season will be coming soon as well. It is set for a February 25 release from Warner Home Video.

The MeTV Network is bringing Sid & Marty Krofft's popular series H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost to classic TV fans starting Friday, November 29 at 8|7c followed by a second special on Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25. After the holidays, relive the magical mornings of the late '60s and early '70s each weekend. Both H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost will be added to MeTV's Saturday morning line-up beginning December 28 at 7am|6c. H.R. Pufnstuf kicks off the weekly line-up followed by Land of the Lost at 7:30am|630c. On November 29, the first two episodes of H.R. Pufnstuf will kick off the special from 8-9pm, followed by the first two episodes of Land of the Lost from 9-10pm. On Christmas morning the magic continues with the "Sid & Marty Krofft & Me" special which will air on Wednesday, December 25 beginning at 5am/4c. H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, created in 1969 and 1974 respectively, are a pair of kids' television programs created by Sid and Marty Krofft. The duo's work is known for its vivid and colorful variety format and eclectic style.

Meanwhile, the holiday season is here and at MeTV they're celebrating it by bringing us holiday episodes (both Thanksgiving and Christmas) from their lineup of classic programs. Daytime and nighttime, we'll be walking through a winter wonderland of festive favorites, starting this Sunday, November 24. Find out which holiday episodes are headed your way, and get ready to enjoy some of television's most memorable holiday moments.


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 Nov. 25-29, 2013, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, November 25, 2013

• Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Watch Demi on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Bette Midler (Bette) - Bette appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) - Kelly visits Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Giovanni Ribisi (Dads/My Two Dads) - Giovanni stops by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC. He will also be on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York between 7-9am.
• Katie Aselton (The League) - Katie is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse appears on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Niecy Nash (The Soul Man/Reno 911!) - Niecy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry drops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Whoopi Goldberg (Whoopi/Bagdad Cafe) - Whoopi is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Tim Conway (McHale's Navy/Rango) - Tim appears on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.

• Angela Kinsey (The Office) - Catch Angela on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) - D.L. is a guest on Tavis Smiley on PBS, but check listings for time.
• Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Billy Crystal (Soap) - Billy visits LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - NeNe drops by LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Niecy Nash (The Soul Man/Reno 911!) - Niecy is a guest on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Tim Stack (Parker Lewis Can't Lose/Son of the Beach) - Tim stops by The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Kathy Griffin and Rachael Ray are finding out how to look cute while eating all that holiday food…. by shopping for pig-out pants on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Danny DeVito (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Taxi) - Danny appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Debby Ryan (Jessie/The Suite Life on Deck) - Debby talks about her starring role in Jessie on The Couch on WLNY 10/55 in New York between 7-9am.

• John Goodman (Roseanne) - Watch John on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Donald Faison (The Exes/Scrubs) - Donald appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Bill Cosby (The Cosby Show/Cosby/The Bill Cosby Show) - Bill is a guest on a repeat of Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
• Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody visits LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Sarah is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Craig T. Nelson (Coach) - Craig explains why Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday on Home & Family at 10am on Hallmark Channel.
• Alan Thicke (Growing Pains) - Alan chats on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• John O'Hurley (Seinfeld) - John will be on NBC's Today between 7-9am and possibly also the 10am hour.

• Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Catch Kunal on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jay Mohr (Gary Unmarried/Action) - Jay is a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Robin Williams (The Crazy Ones/Mork & Mindy) - Robin appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation/The Office) - Rashida visits Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat/Victorious) - Ariana is a musical guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney is part of the guest panel on a repeat of Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• Louis C.K. (Louie) - Louis appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Seinfeld) - Tune it to see Julia on a repeat of LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Kym Whitley (Let's Stay Together/Animal Practice/The Parkers) - Kym is a guest on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
• Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Game/The Steve Harvey Show) - Wendy is part of the guest panel on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
• NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - NeNe appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local istings.
• Nolan Gould (Modern Family) - Nolan appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.

• Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) - Watch Kelly on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) - Tune in to see Cobie on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Tracy Morgan (30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Chris is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Kat Dennings (2 Broke Girls) - Kat appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Anthony Anderson (Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony stops by The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Wendell Pierce (The Michael J. Fox Show/Cursed/The Weber Show) - Wendell chats with Tavis Smiley on PBS, but check listings for time.
• Whoopi Goldberg (Whoopi/Bagdad Cafe) - Whoopi visits The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Retta (Parks and Recreation) - Retta is part of the guest panel on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
• Mike O'Malley (Welcome to the Family/Yes, Dear) - Mike appears on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.

ABC Family is altering its sitcom line-up this December. Weekdays beginning Monday, December 2, will see some time changes and Grounded for Life being removed from the line-up again. That '70s Show will expand from 7-9am on weekday mornings, cutting out Grounded for Life in that 7am hour. At 9am, Still Standing returns to the line-up and will air weekday mornings at 9am replacing an airing of That '70s Show. Then the line-up remains the same from 9:30am-11am with The 700 Club programming and Gilmore Girls at 11am. Then its back to sitcoms with 8 Simple Rules and Reba switching hours, with Rules going to the 12pm hour and Reba moving to the 1pm hour. But that's not all for Reba! It will air in the 2pm hour as well, shifting the two-hour Boy Meets World block to 3-5pm instead of 2-4pm. In essence, the Reba hours are now consecutively airings (1-3pm) instead of broken up like it is now from 12-1pm and 4-5pm. And finally, new addition The Middle will remain from 5-7pm (well 5-6pm until 25 Days of Christmas event is over). One other note, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which airs weeknights from 12-1am, will return to the weeknight line-up on Dec. 30 after the 25 Days of Christmas event is over. Keep it right here for continued updates on all things ABC Family!

Leah Remini (The King of Queens) has been cast for a multi-episode arc in TV Land's original sitcom, The Exes. Remini, who was most recently a semi-finalist on ABC's Dancing With The Stars, will play Stuart's (David Alan Basche) sister Nicki – a tough-talking, no-nonsense, stylish and sexy woman from Staten Island whose 17-year marriage ends when she finds out her policeman husband had an affair. On this season of The Exes, Nicki retreats to Manhattan to seek the comfort of her brother, only to find out he's sharing an apartment with two guys, Phil (Donald Faison) and Haskell (Wayne Knight), and living next door to his divorce attorney Holly (Kristen Johnston). Unable and unwilling to keep her opinions to herself, she turns all their lives upside down as she tries to put her life back together and make a new future for herself in Manhattan.

The Exes, which returns with new episodes on Wednesday, December 11 at 10:30pm ET/PT, revolves around the unlikely trio of Phil, Haskell and Stuart, three roommates and divorcés who have finally found bromance after initially being forced to live together by their divorce attorney and landlord, Holly. Last we left the gang in the summer finale, Phil and Eden (Kelly Stables) realized that they were more interested in dating than remaining "friends with benefits," while the rest of the gang was surprised to find out that anything was going on between them at all. This past summer, The Exes had its highest-rated season ever among Adults 25-54, while also seeing a +21% increase among total viewers versus the prior season (Source: Nielsen, L+7, 6/19/13 - 8/28/13). Stay with us for continued updates on when Leah's episodes will air.

The ABC Television Network announced midseason premiere dates today for new series The Assets, Killer Women, Mind Games and Mixology. In addition, the network has scheduled premiere dates for the new season of The Bachelor with Juan Pablo Galavis, critically acclaimed comedy Suburgatory, and the cooking competition series The Taste, now expanded to two hours. Previously announced new drama series Resurrection will now premiere at 9:00pm on Sunday, March 9, thus Revenge will move into the 10:00pm time slot starting on that date. The midseason schedule launches on Thursday, Jan. 2 with the return of The Taste expanded to two hours and on a new night. Previously announced reality series The Quest will now premiere at a later date. Then at 10pm on Thursdays, new series The Assets, an eight-part limited series based on the real life events of CIA counter-intelligence officer Sandy Grimes (Jodie Whittaker) will air. Grey's Anatomy and Scandal will return on Thursday, Feb. 27 from 9-11pm to air repeat-free for the remainder of the season. Both series have their "fall" finales on Dec. 12. As for Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, no return date has been planned but five episodes will remain to be aired after its Dec. 12 "fall" finale.

Moving on, no surprise that The Bachelor will launch its new season on the first Monday of the new year, on Monday, Jan. 6 from 8-10pm. On the following night, new Tricia Helfer drama Killer Women will premiere on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 10pm for eight episodes before another new drama premieres on Tuesday, March 11 in the time period: Mind Games starring Christian Slater. Wednesday comedies will have some new entries, with the return of Suburgatory on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 8:30pm, replacing the canceled Back in the Game, which would have aired its 13 episodes by then. At 9:30pm, current occupant Super Fun Night has a 17 episode order and by Feb. 26 a new comedy will get a chance. That comedy will be Mixology from Ryan Seacrest. And finally, as mentioned earlier Resurrection will now premiere at 9:00pm on Sunday, March 9 into Revenge at its new time. Once Upon a Time will also return on this date. It is unclear still what will air in January and February on Sunday nights, but there could be some airings of the current ABC Sunday drama line-up (Once, Revenge, Betrayal) in January before taking a short break. One other note, Nashville will return for its midseason premiere on Wednesday, February 26 at 10. It is still uncertain if that series will be on a hiatus in January and February. If so, no idea yet what will air in that slot. Stay with us for continued updates.

NBC has entered a deal to co-produce 12 episodes of the half-hour singlecam comedy Working the Engels from producers Halfire-CORE Entertainment in partnership with Shaw Media. Working the Engels marks the first time a U.S. and Canadian broadcaster have collaborated to produce a half-hour network comedy. The series, created and written by Katie Ford and Jane Ford, centers on a family who must band together to keep their heads above water when their father and breadwinner passes away, leaving them a mountain of debt. The Engels must all go to work running Dad's storefront law firm, with one minor problem - daughter Jenna is the only one who is qualified to practice law.

SCTV legend and two-time Emmy Award winner Andrea Martin will play Ceil, the overly confident family matriarch. Working the Engels also stars Kacey Rohl (Hannibal), Azura Skye (American Horror Story) and Benjamin Arthur (Less Than Kind). No word as of yet when NBC plans on airing the comedy series, but as soon as we know, we'll let you know!

ENCORE networks are about to launch classic TV hits, including many sitcoms, to their networks starting Monday, Dec. 2, 2013! We already have classic westerns airing on ENCORE Western, but now two ENCORE networks will rebrand and add sitcoms as a part of their schedule. Already a favorite for consumers as the most widely subscribed premium pay TV service in the United States with 35 million subscribers, Starz has strengthened ENCORE and its family of thematic multiplex channels and service offerings. The new ENCORE pack of channels bring programming enhancements to further super-serve the nation's evolving demographics and focus on groups who over-index in viewing within the premium pay TV category. First up, ENCORE BLACK will be the new name of the current ENCORE DRAMA network. Showcasing popular programming for the African-American community, ENCORE BLACK will bring a terrific combination of commercial-free premium movie content, comedy such as Martin Lawrence's 1st Amendment Stand Up, and the introduction of TV favorites including: What's Happening!!, Diff'rent Strokes, 227, and Amen. The sitcoms will be commercial-free and unedited! ENCORE BLACK will be originated in HD and service the strong viewership from the African-American community, which has historically over-indexed on premium channel viewership. The December 2 launch will spotlight Academy Award® nominee, actor Samuel L. Jackson with films such as Unbreakable, Losing Isaiah, Freedomland, One Eight Seven, and more. Back to the sitcoms, they will launch in primetime on Monday, Dec. 2 with the premiere episode of Sony's Diff'rent Strokes at 8pm, followed by back-to-back episodes of Universal's Amen at 8:30pm and 9pm. '70s classic What's Happening!! from Sony Pictures will round out the night at 9:30pm. These sitcoms will air in primetime in these time periods every weekday, but starting Tuesday, Dec. 3 additional airings will air from 6-8pm in the same order. They will be encores of the previous night in primetime. Starting on New Year's Day (Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014), 227 will join the ENCORE BLACK line-up and will air at 8:30pm and encore the next day at 6:30pm, taking one of Amen's airings. All times are Eastern.

But wait, there's more! Another ENCORE network will add sitcoms starting Dec. 2. ENCORE CLASSIC will be the new name for the current ENCORE LOVE. It is a new addition to the ENCORE HD channel portfolio, ENCORE CLASSIC will be a favorite for the Baby Boomer set, with a mix of generational evergreen movie favorites and classic TV series. Leveraging the deep and broad ENCORE movie library of new release and favorite hits, ENCORE CLASSIC will add TV hits, Murphy Brown, Magnum, P.I., and Night Court to its programming slate. The TV hits will be commercial-free and unedited! Classic movie titles will air every night with a new favorite every day of the month at 9PM ET/PT. Films include Kramer vs. Kramer, American Graffiti, Independence Day, Breaking Away, Stand By Me, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Good Will Hunting, Tootsie, Basic Instinct, The Notebook, and more. Back to the sitcoms, they will launch with in primetime on Monday, Dec. 2 with the premiere episode of Murphy Brown at 7pm, followed by Night Court at 7:30pm. Then Universal-owned drama Magnum, P.I. will round out the night at 8pm leading into the movies at 9pm. These classic TV hits will air in primetime in these time periods every weekday, but starting Tuesday, Dec. 3 additional airings will air from 5-7pm in the same order. They will be encores of the previous night in primetime. And finally on New Year's Day (Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014), Magnum P.I. will have a New Year's marathon on ENCORE CLASSIC starting at 2am on the night of New Year's Eve and will last until 12:20am on New Year's Day. Also on the night of New Year's Eve, the pilot episodes of Murphy Brown and Night Court will air in the 1am hour leading into the Magnum P.I. marathon. All times are Eastern.

This is certainly great news for classic TV fans. Fans can watch their favorite series without commercial interruption and even more importantly, unedited! ENCORE told SitcomsOnline that they "anticipate acquiring more sitcom titles in the future." We are not sure if these are exclusive deals, but 227 is starting a month later. ENCORE says that they "cannot shed any additional light on the contractual specifics for each series including terms of exclusivity." Currently, 227 is airing on GMC on basic cable. As for the other series, only What's Happening!! is on basic cable on TV One. Diff'rent Strokes is airing on digital broadcast on Antenna TV, as is Magnum P.I. on COZI TV. Warner Bros.-owned Night Court and Murphy Brown are not airing anywhere else. In addition, the December 2 roll-out will also feature brand new channel logos, graphics and audio package as part of a fresh, new on-air style representative of the newly improved and fortified ENCORE channels and services. Stay with us for continued updates on ENCORE's new networks and series. For now, find out where these networks on your service by visiting their website.

Moving on, Debmar-Mercury has sold Celebrity Name Game, a nationally syndicated pop culture game show hosted by The Late, Late Show's Craig Ferguson from co-producers FremantleMedia North America and Debmar-Mercury, to Tribune Broadcasting stations covering 40% of the U.S., including seven of the top-10 markets. U.S. distributor Debmar-Mercury has provided a firm fall 2014 launch for the half-hour strip, which will air on Tribune stations including WPIX New York, KTLA Los Angeles and WGN Chicago. We first announced this new series a few weeks ago, but now clearances have been already been made. Courteney Cox and David Arquette's Coquette Productions (Cougar Town) teamed with veteran showrunner Scott St. John (Deal or No Deal), as well as Laura Robinson and Richard Gerrits of North 44 Productions, to develop the fast-paced game show in which celebrities team with contestants to identify famous names, including actors, singers, athletes, pop culture figures, politicians and even cartoon characters. Stay with us for continued updates, especially in January at NATPE and as we get closer to next Fall.

After a vigorous bidding war which resulted in what is believed to be the biggest off-network deal ever, FXX has secured the exclusive cable, VOD and non-linear rights to The Simpsons, the longest-running comedy series in television history. Beginning in August 2014, through its landmark deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television, FXX will become the cable network home for all seasons of The Simpsons, excluding seasons airing in their first run on Fox. FXNOW, the soon-to-be-launched mobile viewing app of FX Networks for its authenticated subscribers, will be the exclusive non-linear home for all seasons of The Simpsons, excluding seasons airing in their first run on Fox. FXX and FXNOW will get subsequent seasons of The Simpsons as new seasons begin their first run on Fox. For example, beginning in August 2014 FXX will have access to 24 seasons (530 episodes) of the series. Beginning in September of 2014, FXX will have access to the 25th season of The Simpsons, when season 26 debuts on Fox.

Terms were not disclosed, but it is expected FXX paid $1.5 million per episodes. That's well over $800 million for the current library of episodes. FXX will likely air 18 episodes a week, similar to Modern Family on USA Network and The Big Bang Theory on TBS. We're not sure how many years the contract will go for, but obviously it is multi-year deal for at least four years (probably much more). This will be the first EVER cable home for The Simpsons. It entered broadcast syndication over 19 years ago (in 1994) and still is going strong. Stay with us for continued updates as we get closer to August 2014. We'll have the complete information then!

Actress Shirley Mitchell, who appeared in many 1950s and 1960s sitcoms, has died. She died of heart failure on November 11 in Westwood, California. Ms. Mitchell was 94.

Mitchell appeared in three episodes of the third season of I Love Lucy in 1953-1954. She played Marion Strong, a friend of Lucy Ricardo who had a funny laugh. She was the last surviving recurring adult cast member of the series. She was interviewed in the 2003 documentary The Desilu Story and the E! True Hollywood Story for I Love Lucy in 2005.

She appeared as Kitty Devereaux, a secretary for Bentley Gregg (John Forsythe), in Bachelor Father in 1958-1959. In 1960-1962, she appeared in thirteen episodes of Pete and Gladys as Janet Colton, the wife of George Colton (Peter Leeds). She played Opal Clampett, the wife of Jake Clampett, in two episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies in 1962. She appeared as the next-door neighbor Marge Thornton in Please Don't Eat the Daisies on NBC from 1965-1967. She portrayed Kate Bradley's cousin, Mae Belle Jennings, on Petticoat Junction in four episodes in 1967-1968. She made four guest appearances as a nurse and as Oliver's old friend Wanda in Green Acres from 1967-1971.

Her other sitcom credits included I Married Joan, Where's Raymond?, It's a Great Life, The Real McCoys, Leave it to Beaver, The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Angel, Mister Ed, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Make Room for Daddy, My Three Sons, The Mothers-in-Law, and The Doris Day Show. In the 1970s, she appeared in The Odd Couple, Apple's Way, Chico and the Man, Three's Company and Alice. In 1990, she made her final sitcom guest appearance in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Her television drama credits included Dragnet and Perry Mason. She voiced Laurie Holiday in the 1972 Hanna-Barbera cartoon series, The Roman Holidays.

Survivors include her two children, Scott and Brooke, and sister-in-law, the Oscar-nominated Sunset Blvd. actress Nancy Olson. Her children were with her husband from 1946-1974, Dr. Julian Frieden. She was later married to composer Jay Livingston from 1992 until his death in 2001. She was a talented and funny character actress. Her Marion Strong character with the cackling laugh was very memorable on I Love Lucy. She was also great as the neighbor in Please Don't Eat the Daisies, which will hopefully be available on DVD someday. Ms. Mitchell will be greatly missed.