SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

• It has been a long time since we've heard from Sam Nelson (grandson of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, by the way) about his project to restore The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet in order to release it on DVD, so long that we were concerned that he may have abandoned his Kickstarter project. Yesterday, he posted an update (it is only available to those who have supported the project on Kickstarter, but you can read it all here) where he indicates that he is indeed working with the UCLA Film and Television Archive to restore the series to its original glory. He says that it may not be possible to bring all episodes back to their original form due to some issues over the years, but the goal is still to bring the series to DVD in the best way possible... we're very hopeful!
• For the few fans of the series who don't already own the complete series on either DVD or Blu-ray, RLJ Entertainment is bringing a smaller set of The Dick Van Dyke Show to DVD, with some of Mary Tyler Moore's best episodes, in The Dick Van Dyke Show - Classic Mary Tyler Moore Episodes. The set will contain 20 episodes at a $24.98 MSRP, to be released on April 1.

• Married with Children - Seasons One and Two (Mill Creek): The Bundys return to DVD in this three disc re-release from Mill Creek.
• Newhart - The Complete Second Season: Shout! Factory finally brings fans more of this great series to DVD, although there are a few video quality issues and some syndication edits in the set.

TV Land announced a LIVE television event: one hilarious hour with two LIVE back-to-back season premieres of original sitcoms – Hot in Cleveland and The Soul Man this spring. Hot in Cleveland will go LIVE for the second time on Wednesday, March 26 at 10pm ET, and The Soul Man will follow at 10:30pm ET with its first live episode ever. The Soul Man, a spin-off of Hot in Cleveland, stars Cedric The Entertainer as Reverend Boyce Ballentine, a character that originated as Elka Ostrovsky's (Betty White, Hot in Cleveland) pastor. Their characters will again cross over into each other's worlds during the live shows. The West Coast will get the live-to-tape versions beginning at 10pm PT. Current 10pm occupants The Exes and Kirstie will finish their seasons up in late February.

Hot in Cleveland premiered last season with a live episode on June 19, 2013. Guest stars in this episode included Brian Baumgartner (The Office), Danny Pudi (Community), Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family) and Star Trek legend William Shatner, and the episode averaged 2.7 million total viewers (Source: Nielsen, L+7). Stay with us for continued updates.


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 Jan. 27-31, 2014, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, January 27, 2014

• Louis C.K. (Louie) - Watch Louis on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Jeff is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm. He will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Breckin Meyer (Married to the Kellys/Inside Schwartz) - Breckin stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Andy is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• Imani Hakim (Everybody Hates Chris) - Imani appears on The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Teri Polo (I'm with Her/Man Up!) - Teri discusses the upcoming season of The Fosters on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am.
• Jay Mohr (Gary Unmarried/Action) - Gary guest co-hosts The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• The Cast of How I Met Your Mother - Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan are guests on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

• Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Catch Eric on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda drops by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Thomas Haden Church (Wings) - Thomas appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Anna Faris (Mom) - Anna visits Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Louis C.K. (Louie) - Louis is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
• Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) - Yvette stops by The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy chats on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Jay Mohr (Gary Unmarried/Action) - Gary guest co-hosts The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Tika Sumpter (The Game) - Tika appears on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Cheryl Hines (Suburgatory/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Cheryl is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Candace Cameron Bure (Full House) - Candace shows us how to entertain a “Full House” with tips for keeping kids entertained on game day on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.

• B.J. Novak (The Office) - Watch B.J. on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney stops by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• David Koechner (The Office) - David appears on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Don Cheadle (The Golden Palace) - Don is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda continues to make the rounds on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) - Sarah chats on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Jay Mohr (Gary Unmarried/Action) - Gary guest co-hosts The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry stops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Tahj Mowry (Baby Daddy/Smart Guy) - Tahj talks about the new season of Baby Daddy on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Bresha Webb (Love That Girl!) - Bresha is a guest on Bethenny, so check your local listings.
• Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Sarah visits Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Jeff Garlin Friar's roast will be featured on NBC's Today in the 10am hour. He will also be on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York at 8:30am.
• John Stamos, Bob Saget and Dave Coulier - The men of Full House reunite to discuss their new Dannon Oikos Super Bowl ad on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am. They will also be on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.

• Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Catch Miley on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Alison Brie (Community) - Alison appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Max Greenfield (New Girl) - Max is a guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) - Melissa stops by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Lamorne Morris (New Girl) - Lamorne visits The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
• Jay Mohr (Gary Unmarried/Action) - Gary guest co-hosts The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Shawn and Marlon Wayans (The Wayans Bros.) - Shawn and Marlon are tentatively scheduled to appear on New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm ET.
• Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Melissa is a guest on Pop Sugar on TV Guide Network at 6pm and on the next day on their website at noon.
• Tom Arnold (Roseanne/Tom/The Tom Show) - Tom talks about his comedy tour and upcoming appearance on Psych on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Fran Drescher (The Nanny/Happily Divorced - Fran talks about Cinderella on Broadway on NBC's Today between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
• Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry will be on Larry King Now at 2/5pm PT/ET on Ora.tv and Hulu.
• John Stamos, Bob Saget and Dave Coulier - The men of Full House are guests on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.

• Tim Allen (Last Man Standing/Home Improvement) - Watch Tim on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• James Van Der Beek (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - James appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Michael J. Fox (The Michael J. Fox Show/Spin City/Family Ties) - Michael is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Max Greenfield (New Girl) - Max visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Imani Hakim (Everybody Hates Chris) - Imani stops by to talk about the new TV movie The Gabby Douglas Story on 106 & Park at 6pm on BEt.
• Regina King (227) - Regina gives us a sneak peek at her new Lifetime movie The Gabby Douglas Story on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations. She will also be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour. Finally, she is a guest on 106 & Park at 6pm on BET.
• Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Zooey is part of Queen Latifah's Super Bowl Blowout on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Jay Mohr (Gary Unmarried/Action) - Gary will be on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York at 9:30am.

Standup comedians who landed sitcoms, TV doctors and nurses, standout comedy actors, and the people who broke the color barrier on television, are the subjects explored when Pioneers of Television returns to PBS this April, offering inside stories from some of America's most beloved television stars. The fourth season of the Emmy-nominated series reveals intriguing behind-the-scenes stories and fascinating facts about television's most well-known and influential celebrities. On January 21 at the semi-annual Television Critics Association conference, Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart), Jimmie Walker (Good Times), Leslie Uggams (The Leslie Uggams Show) and George Takei (Star Trek) introduced television critics to the exciting upcoming season with a panel discussion and an inside look at season four. New interviews with legendary stars, including Robin Williams, Roseanne Barr and Dick Van Dyke, and never-before-seen images mix with timeless footage that continues to entertain TV viewers decades later. Pioneers of Television's first-hand look at the medium is guided by the stories of television icons who appear in memorable footage and reminisce about the iconic genres they helped popularize.

The genres highlighted in this season of four one-hour Pioneers of Television episodes include:

STANDUP TO SITCOM
This star-packed episode features fresh interviews with Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Tim Allen, Ray Romano, and Bob Newhart. The program reveals how America's top standup comics made the transition to the sitcom form; and includes dozens of clips from Seinfeld, Home Improvement, Everybody Loves Raymond, Roseanne, and more.

DOCTORS AND NURSES
From George Clooney on ER to Richard Chamberlain on Dr. Kildare, television's long love affair with doctors and nurses shows no signs of letting up. Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards, Gloria Reuben and Eriq LaSalle open up about the secrets of ER; Howie Mandel, Ed Begley Jr. and Christina Pickles revisit St. Elsewhere. The episode also features the final interview with Chad Everett of Medical Center before his recent death.

ACTING FUNNY
This episode peeks behind the curtain to reveal the backstage techniques of America's favorite comedic actors. The program features the manic improvisational style of Robin Williams, along with his comic predecessor Jonathan Winters. They're a fascinating contrast to Tina Fey, who explains her measured, highly prepared approach. The episode also highlights the all-time #1 Emmy winner for comedy acting: Cloris Leachman.

BREAKING BARRIERS
This episode traces the story of people of color on American television — including the mid-1960s breakthroughs of African Americans Diahann Carroll (Julia) and Bill Cosby (I Spy). Latino landmarks range from I Love Lucy with Desi Arnaz to Miami Vice with Edward James Olmos. Also featured are Asian Americans like George Takei (Star Trek), who details his youth spent in a Japanese American internment camp.

CMT will celebrate a milestone 35 years since The Dukes of Hazzard first launched with eight back-to-back hours of the most-loved episodes on Sunday, January 26 beginning at 2:00 pm, ET/PT. For a chance to see their name and favorite Dukes fact on television, fans are invited to be part of the fast-moving episodes by sharing Dukes facts on facebook.com/TheDukesRideAgain and on Twitter using #Dukes35. The series returned to CMT earlier this month, airing for the first time in high-definition. The iconic television series originally launched on January 26, 1979, and exploded as a pop culture phenomenon throughout its successful seven-year run. Bo, Luke and Daisy Duke, along with their Uncle Jesse, fought the corrupt political system of Hazzard County, and made short-shorts, fast cars and CB radios cool around the globe.

For a full lineup and episode descriptions, visit CMT.com. The Dukes of Hazzard airs weekdays at Noon and 8:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT.

Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's digital multicast channel has expanded to clearances on 80+ stations across the country, bringing the digital network's reach to 70% of TV households. Antenna TV is now available in Phoenix, AZ on KNXV, and will be available in Tampa, FL on WTSP, the 84th affiliate of the network, beginning Friday, February 28. Since its launch in 2011 on Tribune and Local TV LLC stations, Antenna TV has partnered with broadcast groups including Cox, Gannett, LIN, Media General, Scripps Media, Hubbard, Gray, Raycom, Sarkes Tarzian, Journal Broadcast Group, Intermountain West, Morris Multimedia, Block Communications, Woods Communications Corp and Paxton Media Group. This past fall, Antenna TV added I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched to its lineup. We will have more news on Antenna TV pretty soon, including some stunt events in February.

Beginning this Friday (Jan. 24), Fox's new comedy Enlisted moves to its new time period from 9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT, following Bones at 8:00PM ET/PT on Fox to try and get more exposure. As a result, current 9:00PM occupant Raising Hope moves to the 9:30 PM ET/PT half-hour. A military-set family comedy, Enlisted stars Geoff Stults (October Road), Chris Lowell (Private Practice) and Parker Young (Suburgatory) as three brothers who, when the best of the best are sent overseas, stay behind to try to keep the post in order. The series also stars Emmy Award winner Keith David (The Cape) and Angelique Cabral (Friends with Benefits). In "Pete's Airstream," the all-new time period premiere episode of Enlisted, airing Friday, Jan. 24 at 9:00PM ET/PT, Pete tries to distance himself from his brothers and the platoon, which, of course, backfires. In "Thrilla in Natesvilla," the all-new time period premiere episode of Raising Hope at 9:30 PM ET/PT, Burt (Garret Dillahunt) and Virginia (Martha Plimpton) try to help Barney (Gregg Binkley) and Maxine's (guest star Molly Shannon) budding relationship, and in the process, end up in a fight. Stay with us for continued updates.

The Hallmark Channel has pulled The Good Wife completely from its line-up effective today (Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014). The series started a few weeks ago by airing weekdays from 6-10pm but after just a week it was reduced to 8-10pm and now it is gone completely. The Waltons will now air in primetime from 8-10pm, so its 2-4pm airings will be replaced by Home Improvement. Hallmark will replace the 6-8pm Home Improvement block with the return of Little House on the Prairie. Classic '70s and '80s family dramas from 6-10pm trump over The Good Wife in the ratings for Hallmark it seems. Hallmark has a quick axe usually on shows that do not deliver in ratings, but for a big acquisition like this, it might have been too quick to pull. We'll let you know if and when it returns to the line-up. The rest of the Hallmark Channel weekday schedule will remain as is, with I Love Lucy from 5-8am, The Golden Girls from 8-10am, a new and encore of Home & Family from 10am-2pm, the aforementioned Home Improvement from 2-4pm, The Brady Bunch from 4-6pm into the classic dramas from 6-10pm (Little House & The Waltons). Comedies will rule in late night still with Frasier from 10pm-12am, The Golden Girls from 12-2am, Cheers from 2-3am, and more Frasier from 3-5am.

Television writer and producer Ben Starr, who helped create The Facts of Life and Silver Spoons, has died. He died on January 19 at his home in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure. Mr. Starr was 92.

Starr's early sitcom writing credits included Duffy's Tavern, My Hero, I Married Joan, The Ray Milland, December Bride, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and Bachelor Father. He wrote 40 episodes of Mister Ed from 1961-1963. Other sitcoms he wrote multiple episodes of included My Favorite Martian, Petticoat Junction, The Brady Bunch, Chico and the Man and All in the Family.

He worked as a writer and producer for Diff'rent Strokes from 1978-1982. He was instrumental in inadvertently coining the famous "Whatchu talking 'bout Willis?" catchphrase by Gary Coleman. The line was originally written as "What are you talking about, Willis?" before Coleman gave his classic delivery. He was interviewed in the E! True Hollywood Story specials on Diff'rent Strokes and Dana Plato in 1998 and 1999. In 1979, he helped develop the spin-off series The Facts of Life with Howard Leeds and Jerry Mayer. The popular series aired on NBC for 9 seasons and 209 episodes. Starr later helped create Silver Spoons with Leeds and Martin Cohan in 1982. The series, starring Ricky Schroder, Joel Higgins and Erin Gray, aired for five seasons (four on NBC and one in first-run syndication).

The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with him on November 9, 2009. Survivors include three children and three grandchildren and nephew Andy Kaplan, who heads international channels for Sony Pictures TV. We thank him for bringing us the classic 1980s sitcoms The Facts of Life and Silver Spoons. He will be greatly missed.

ABC was up at the TCA Winter 2014 Press Tour on Friday and we have the full scoop! Paul Lee, president, ABC Entertainment Group, announced premiere dates for the new drama series Black Box on Thursday, April 24 at 10:00 p.m. ET following the conclusion of the season of Scandal on April 17, along with a new season of Dancing with the Stars launching on Monday, March 17 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET, and the pick-up of an all-new Disney•Pixar holiday special, Toy Story That Time Forgot for the 2014 holiday season, following the recent success of Toy Story OF TERROR! The network also announced a special two-night Bachelor event featuring everyone's favorite Bachelor, Juan Pablo Galavis, on Monday, Feb. 24 and Tuesday, Feb. 25 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET, and new drama Mind Games will now premiere two weeks earlier than planned, now on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 10:00 p.m. ET, following night two of the Bachelor event. Killer Women will end two weeks earlier and no word if the final two episodes will air at a later date. Other previously announced mid-season entries will remain unchanged (Mixology on Wed. Feb. 26 at 9:30pm and Resurrection Sun. March 9 at 9pm). Panels with cast and crew of ABC Family's The Fosters, ABC's Resurrection, Black Box, Suburgatory, Mind Games, Nashville, and Mixology were held.

And finally, NBC was up yesterday (Sunday) to close out the broadcast networks for this year's winter press tour. No real scheduling moves were announced, but The Michael J. Fox Show is coming off a dreadful showing last Thursday at 9:30 so NBC is switching timeslots with Sean Saves the World at 9 for this Thursday (Jan. 23). On the heels of the very successful airing of The Sound of Music Live! in December 2013, NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt announced that the network will present a new television production of the classic musical Peter Pan as a live telecast on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014. Multi-award-winning producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced The Sound of Music Live! will again executive produce the production. Casting is currently on a fast track. NBC has given a 10-episode straight-to-series order for Emerald City in 2014-15, a reimagining of the classic Frank L. Baum books that have inspired everything from The Wizard Of Oz to Wicked. NBC is also ordering eight episodes of the miniseries The Slap for 2014-15, based on the critically-acclaimed Australian project of the same name that aired in 2011. And in terms of pilots, NBC announced two pilot orders: State of Affairs (drama starring Katherine Heigl) and Untitled Amy Poehler project (aka Old Soul, comedy starring Natasha Lyonne).

NBC also announced the final guests and first guests for its late night line-up. Jay Leno announced that he will kick-off his last week of guests for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno with his heir to the Tonight Show desk, Jimmy Fallon on Monday, Feb. 3. Leno will conclude his incredible 22-year run with a return visit from his first-ever guest, Billy Crystal, who joins Leno on his farewell night, Thursday, Feb. 6. Leno's final show as host will feature both Crystal and music from country superstar Garth Brooks. Crystal visited Leno on the host's first night at the helm of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on May 25, 1992. Other guests for the week include Betty White, Charles Barkley, Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Blake Shelton and Lyle Lovett. As for the first guest news, Will Smith and U2 have been booked as the guests for the premiere of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, set for Monday, February 17 from Studio 6B in Rockefeller Center. And finally, Late Night With Seth Meyers premieres Monday, February 24 at 12:35am in new Studio 8G from Rockefeller Center and will feature Amy Poehler as the first guest.


The 20th SAG Awards were held Saturday night on TNT & TBS. Here were the winners from the ceremony:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire, HBO)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, AMC)
Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom, HBO)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, HBO)
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards, Netflix)
WINNER: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, AMC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Claire Danes (Homeland, Showtime)
Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad, AMC)
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum, FX)
Kerry Washington (Scandal, ABC)
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey, PBS)
WINNER: Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey, PBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock, NBC)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC)
Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Netflix)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory, CBS)
Don Cheadle (House of Lies, Showtime)
WINNER: Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie, Showtime)
Tina Fey (30 Rock, NBC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep, HBO)
Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory, CBS)
Julie Bowen (Modern Family, ABC)
WINNER: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep, HBO)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Downton Abbey (PBS)
Homeland (Showtime)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
WINNER: Breaking Bad (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 Rock (NBC)
Arrested Development (Netflix)
Modern Family (ABC)
Veep (HBO)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
WINNER: Modern Family (ABC)

Lifetime Achievement Award
Rita Moreno