SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

• There were a few developments (and changes) this week with the CBS releases of The Honeymooners - Classic 39 Episodes, I Love Lucy - Ultimate Season One, and The Andy Griffith Show - Season One. Originally scheduled for release on April 8, these will now hit stores on May 6. But in the meantime, TVShowsOnDVD.com has an update on special features for all of these sets. You can find the lists at the following links: The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show.

• The Courtship of Eddie's Father - The Complete Third Season:  Warner Archive wraps up the three season run of the classic series with a release that should leave fans satisfied.
• Highway to Heaven - The Complete Third Season: Mill Creek puts together another release of this Michael Landon classic series from the '80s, with (mostly) uncut episodes this time around.

• Mama's Family - The Complete Third Season (DVD, $29.98): The classic Vicki Lawrence sitcom returns to DVD for another season, this one being the first season of the retooled version of the series that aired in first-run syndication.
• The Middle - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD, $44.98): The ABC series that lagged behind a season on DVD releases finally gets caught up with this release.
• L.A. Law - Season One (DVD, $29.93): The groundbreaking NBC legal drama that began in the '80s comes to DVD for the very first time (at least for the first time in the United States).

Jenna Elfman (Joyce Fisher) is best known for her role as Dharma in the hit series Dharma and Greg, which garnered her a Golden Globe Award, three Emmy Award nominations and two TV Guide Awards. In 2012-13, she starred in NBC's 1600 Penn. She starred in Accidentally on Purpose and Courting Alex on CBS. Her sitcom guest appearances include The Mindy Project, Two and a Half Men, My Name Is Earl, The Single Guy and Almost Perfect.

Eli Baker (Henry Fisher) appeared in the short film Tiny Actions. He began his professional career in musical theater.

Ava Deluca-Verley (Katie Fisher) recently appeared in Oscar-winning screenwriters Jim Rash and Nat Faxon's directorial debut, The Way Way Back, starring Steve Carell, Toni Collette and Sam Rockwell. She also guest starred on TNT's Southland and played a supporting role in the Australian feature film Blinder.

Lance Lim (Runyen) prior credits include a co-starring role on the Disney XD pilot Kirby Buckets in 2012 and a substantial supporting role in the 2013 feature film Innocent Blood.

Jason Bateman (Narrator) is best known for his irreverent portrayal of Michael Bluth in the Mitch Hurwitz-created Emmy Award-winning comedy series Arrested Development.". For his performance, Bateman won a Golden Globe Award in 2005 as best actor in a comedy series and earned Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations as both a leading actor and as part of the cast ensemble the same year. His sitcom roles include Valerie/Valerie's Family/The Hogan Family, Silver Spoons and It's Your Move.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (airs Sunday, February 23 at 10:30PM ET/PT)

It's not every family that's brought closer together by divorce, but the Fisher family is anything but typical. 11-year-old Henry (Eli Baker) met the most amazing person he'll ever meet in his life when he was four-and-a-half minutes old, his dad, Mel Fisher (J.K. Simmons). Mel's an incredible father and successful lawyer...who happens to be blind. Ever since he can remember, Henry has always been his dad's eyes and wingman, so when his parents decide to separate, he's less than thrilled that his job has been outsourced to Mel's new guide dog, Elvis. Meanwhile, his mother, Joyce (Jenna Elfman), begins a quest to find herself, essentially becoming a teenager in her forties. This is an unfortunate turn for the family's actual teenage daughter, Katie (Ave Deluca-Verley), who finds herself reluctantly taking on the maternal role in the family. Lance Lim also stars as Henry's best friend, Runyen. Voiceover by Jason Bateman.
Guest stars: Harold Perrineau, Matthew Glave, Bill Fagerbakke, Isabela Moner, Carla Jimenez and Sam Pancake
Directed by David Schwimmer
Written by DJ Nash

Analysis:

Growing Up Fisher is single-camera comedy inspired by the the life of DJ Nash (Up All Night, Bent), who grew up with a blind father. Jason Bateman, Jim Garavente and Tucker Cawley also serve as executive producers. The series is a production of Universal Television and Aggregate Films. In addition to producing the series, Jason Bateman provides the narration as an adult Henry.

In the Pilot episode, we meet Mel and his 11-year-old son, Henry. Henry guides him to cut down a tree to clear room for a pool. The adult Henry provides the backstory of how Mel became blind at age twelve. Mel helps Katie with her driving lesson. Joyce asks Henry if she should get a water bra and later smokes an e-cigaratte. Mel tells Katie that he went to law school blind before he shows her how to parallel park. Henry's best friend, Runyen, has an exchange with Mel in the kitchen. Some flashback scenes are shown of Mel trying to hide his blindness. Henry later arrives home to see a guide dog named Elvis. Henry learns that his parents are divorcing and Mel is moving out. Mel attempts to check into a hotel. After Henry is kicked out of the hotel, Joyce vacuums him after he arrives home in a cab. When Henry and Runyen are on a field trip, Henry spots a potential apartment for his father. Henry receives a tour of the apartment by Fred. Mel receives a call from the principal while taking a deposition. Mel and Henry talk to the principal, Mr. Sloan. Later, Joyce tries on new pants at the mall. Mel calls Henry to tell him that Elvis got out. The family goes out to search for him. After Elvis is discovered back the apartment, Joyce learns that Mel planned the whole thing to show Henry that he was needed. Mel gives Henry a key to the apartment. Henry meets Jenny in the hallway.

The Pilot episode is directed by Friends star David Schwimmer. There are quite a few scenes and locations used. It provides the necessary introduction to the characters and backstory. The funniest moments are when Mel tries cutting down a tree and the driving scenes. The montage of flashbacks of Mel trying to hide his blindness are also a highlight. The episode closes with some heartwarming scenes of the family coming together.

The device of using a narrator isn't really unique in sitcoms these days, but I thought Jason Bateman did a good job. They didn't really overuse it. It was also nice to see Lost's Harold Perrineau as a guest star, but this was likely a one-episode deal for him. Another familiar face is Coach's Bill Fagerbakke as Mel's brother. His role looks to be recurring in multiple episodes.

They have put together a solid cast. I have always been a fan of J.K. Simmons from his extensive film and television roles. You may not know his name, but he seems to be in everything. He's just an underrated character actor. He really hasn't been given much opportunity to do comedy on television, so it's welcome to see him in another role. Jenna Elfman was a late addition to the cast when Parker Posey dropped out after the pilot was picked up. She has played similar clueless characters in the past, so she should be fine once the character is more fully developed. Eli Baker is the standout among the child actors. The father and son scenes are funny and heartwarming. Ave Deluca-Verley (Katie) does a good job with the strained relationship with her mother. Henry's best friend, Runyen (Lance Lim), also provides some comic relief in a few scenes. The dog, Elvis, is also a scene stealer.

• Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules) - Watch Kaley on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Zooey appears on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) - Amy is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• David Walton (About a Boy/Bent/Perfect Couples) - David stops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Beth Behrs and Kat Dennings (2 Broke Girls) - Beth and Kat will be on CBS This Morning between 7-9am. Beth will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your local listings.
• Tim Allen (Last Man Standing/Home Improvement) - Tim visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Minnie Driver (About a Boy/Will & Grace) - Minnie talks about About a Boy on NBC's Today between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
• Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory/Blossom) - Mayim talks about her new book, Mayim's Vegan Table, on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
• Anna Faris (Mom) - Anna appears on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Tim Conway (McHale's Navy/Rango) - Tim is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• The Cast of Workaholics) - Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine and Anders Holm are guests on Larry King Now at 2/5pm PT/ET on Ora.tv and Hulu.
• Ted Lange (The Love Boat) - Ted will be on The Couch on WLNY 10/55 in New York between 7-9am.
• Jenna Elfman (Growing Up Fisher/1600 Penn/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.

• Kat Dennings (2 Broke Girls) - Catch Kat on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Joel McHale (Community) - Joel stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Ashton Kutcher (Two and a Half Men/That '70s Show) - Ashton visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules) - Kaley chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She will also be on CBS This Morning between 7-9am.
• Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - Jim will be on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
• Minnie Driver (About a boy/Will & Grace) - Minnie is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• T.J. Miller (The Goodwin Games/Carpoolers) - T.J. drops by The Pete Holmes Show at midnight on TBS.
• Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory/Blossom) - Mayim talks about her new book, Mayim's Vegan Table, on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Donald Faison (The Exes/Scrubs) - Donald joins Daphne Oz and Carla Hall in the kitchen to help make grilled shrimp with pineapple on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Jenna Elfman (Growing Up Fisher/1600 Penn/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna talks about Growing Up Fisher on NBC's Today between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
• Michael Urie (Partners) - Michael appears on The Better Show, so check your local listings.
• Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Betty is a guest on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Jane Krakowski (30 Rock) - Jane chats on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.

• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen) - Watch Ellen on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) - Kelly appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Nick Kroll (The League/Caveman) - Nick stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Allison Williams (Girls) - Allison is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Blake Lee, Andrew Santino, Vanessa Lengies - The stars of Mixology are guests on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. Blake and Vanessa will also be on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am. Mixology premieres on ABC on February 26 at 9:30pm ET/PT.
• Angelique Cabral (Enlisted) - Angelique will be on Pop Sugar on TV Guide Network at 6pm and on the next day on their website at noon.
• Benjamin Stockham (About a Boy/1600 Penn/Sons of Tucson) - Benjamin appears on The Better Show, so check your local listings.

• Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) - Catch Simon on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael drops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Lena Dunham (Girls) - Lena is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Paul Scheer (The League) - Paul appears on The Pete Holmes Show at midnight on TBS.
• Peter Krause (Sports Night/Cybill) - Peter visits The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Kat Dennings (2 Broke Girls) - Kat stops by LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory/Blossom) - Mayim chats about her new book, Mayim's Vegan Table, on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Whoopi Goldberg (Whoopi/Bagdad Cafe) - Whoopi appears on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Tim Conway (McHale's Navy/Rango) - Tim is a guest on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Jason Hervey (The Wonder Years) - Jason visits The Better Show, so check your local listings.

• Sarah Chalke (How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)/Scrubs/Roseanne) - Watch Sarah on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Billy Connolly (Head of the Class/Billy) - Billy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly) - Billy is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Rob Reiner (all in the Family) - Rob appears on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen) - Robin Roberts interviews Ellen live from Hollywood on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.
• Annie Potts (Designing Women) - Annie will be on New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm ET.

Come and knock on our door! Three's Company and Too Close for Comfort will re-join Antenna TV's schedule beginning Monday, April 7, 2014. The sitcoms have not aired on the network since the end of December 2012 and have been reacquired from DLT Entertainment. The new multi-year year deal includes rights to the Three's Company spin-offs The Ropers and Three's a Crowd, which will be placed in the Three's Company rotation like before. Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast network, which airs on 84 affiliates across the U.S. reaching 70% of TV households, will add Too Close for Comfort to the lineup weekdays 9-10am ET and 1-2am ET, being paired with Three's Company airing 10-11am ET and 12-1am ET. On weekends, Three's Company will air Saturday 7-8pm ET and Sunday nights from 12-1am ET.

Three's Company and Too Close for Comfort join Antenna TV's lineup of classic favorites such as I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, Dennis the Menace, Father Knows Best, Bachelor Father, Hazel, The Partridge Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Diff'rent Strokes, WKRP in Cincinnati, All in the Family, Good Times, The Three Stooges, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The Jack Benny Program, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Gidget, The Flying Nun, It Takes a Thief and Antenna TV Theater, a movie block featuring MGM and Sony movies. We will have the full Antenna TV line-up starting April 7 once the network makes it official! Stay tuned!




About a Boy - Tuesdays at 9:00PM ET/PT on NBC
Special Premiere Saturday, February 22, 2014 following The Olympics at approx. 11:05PM ET/PT

by Vincent

Based on a film of the same name, About a Boy follows Will Freeman (David Walton) after being granted a life of free tie, free love, and freedom from financial woes after he writes a hit song. But when single mom Fiona (Minnie Driver) and her 11-year-old son Marcus (Benjamin Stockham) move next door, his life is turned upside down.

Cast Details:

Starting Monday, February 24, COZI TV is giving you more of what COZI TV superfans love most, plus other shows you've been asking to see! Say hello to The Avengers, Maverick, The Real McCoys, Make Room For Daddy, and more. Tune in weekdays for a special midday mystery wheel from 3-4:30P, with COZI TV favorites McMillan & Wife, Banacek, McCloud and Name of the Game. And you wanted it, you got it -- MORE Magnum P.I., daytime and primetime, with daytime being added weekdays at 2pm (in addition to its Thursday prime block). Plus more shows are coming as we mentioned that Starsky & Hutch, Knight Rider and Hart to Hart begins this summer. It has been a great first year for COZI TV and they thank their superfans. The new weekday daytime schedule will have the following changes: 9:30AM The Adventures of Jim Bowie, 11AM Maverick, 1PM The Avengers, 2PM Magnum P.I., 3PM Midday Mystery Wheel, 4:30 Make Room For Daddy and 6PM The Real McCoys. We will have more on their summer slate in the coming months, but expect marathons in May and June for Mother's Day and Father's Day and launch marathons for the three new series we mentioned for summer.

Character actress Mary Grace Canfield, who was best known for her recurring role as Ralph Monroe in Green Acres, has died. She died from lung cancer on February 15 in Santa Barbara, California. Ms. Canfield was 89.

Canfield appeared as Ralph Monroe in more than forty episodes of Green Acres, which ran on CBS for six seasons from 1965-1971. Ralph and her brother, Alf (Sid Melton), were quarrelsome carpenters hired to rebuild the Douglas' house and barn. Her signature greeting to fellow Hootervillians was "Howdie Doodie!" In 1990, she reprised her role in the TV movie Return to Green Acres.

Her first television appearance was in March 1954 on Goodyear Playhouse. She had a recurring role as a housekeeper, Amanda Allison, in the 1961-1962 ABC sitcom The Hathaways. She appeared as Mrs. Hanley in two episodes of Family in 1976. Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included Hazel, The Joey Bishop Show, The Andy Griffith Show, The Farmer's Daughter, Bewitched (four episodes as Abner Kravitz's sister, Harriet), Love, American Style, The Love Boat, Tabitha, Alice and The Jackie Thomas Show. Her other television credits included Thriller, The Eleventh Hour, Adam-12 and General Hospital.

Survivors include John Bischof, her husband of 25 years; daughters Phoebe Alexiades and Alison Carey; and three grandsons. It's sad that we've lost another member of the Hooterville family. The Monroe Brothers were a very funny duo. We thank her for the laughs she brought us. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Green Acres message board. View photos in our galleries.

Sister, Sister is coming to The Hub this March! The '90s sitcom starring Tia & Tamera Mowry will join the lineup on Monday, March 3, 2014 and will air weeknights at 7pm & 7:30pm ET with an encore at 3:00am & 3:30am ET. The sitcom will join the likes of other sitcoms on The Hub: Step by Step, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Family Ties and ALF. No sitcoms will be removed with this addition, so that is good news. The 7pm hour will replace Family Game Night, while the 2am encore replaces the Step by Step encore, which slides to 3am. Not to worry, the 10pm-12am block of back-to-back Step by Step and single episodes of Sabrina and Family Ties will remain intact. They will encore 3-5am, with ALF in the 5am hour still.

Sister, Sister will still continue to air on UP on Saturday mornings. The series has also been seen on Style in 2012 and prior to that the series aired on Centric. Now the series will be on both UP and The Hub come March. Like the twins, you'll be seeing double! Stay with us for continued updates.




Fill 'er up! The Ewings, television's first family of bad, will celebrate the season three premiere of TNT's hit series Dallas the only way they know how: big and bold. The Ewings are set to take over a gas station, slashing prices for one day only. The flagship station – with a location that will be kept secret until Monday, Feb. 24, at 8am (ET) – will be branded Ewing Energies. Dallas fans will learn about the one-day event through a multi-media campaign. Season three of Dallas will launch next Monday, Feb. 24, at 9pm ET/PT. The Ewings like to do everything on a Texas-sized scale, so their gas prices will undercut the competition while supplies last. The Dallas gas station takeover campaign will feature a New York Times ad announcing the price cut, radio promotions, billboards, wrapped oil tankers and special video messages by John Ross Ewing (played by Josh Henderson) on Facebook. The Ewings have thought of everyone, too. For those not near the flagship station, TNT will run a sweepstakes via the Dallas Facebook page, where fans have the chance to win a custom Black Gold Card with a $50 balance.

TNT's hit series Dallas follows the internal and external conflicts facing the wealthy Ewing family. The drama stars Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Henderson, Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo, Brenda Strong, Mitch Pileggi and Emma Bell, with Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray. Season three of Dallas will also see the addition of Juan Pablo Di Pace as a regular cast member and the return of guest stars Ken Kercheval, Judith Light, Kuno Becker and Marlene Forte. In addition, AnnaLynne McCord is set to guest-star in several episodes.

At last CBS has finally announced premiere dates for the rest of their midseason class. CBS has given mid-season premiere dates to the new comedy Bad Teacher and returning drama Unforgettable. Additionally, Thursday night comedies The Crazy Ones and Two and a Half Men will switch time periods, beginning Feb. 27. So The Crazy Ones and Two and a Half Men will switch time periods, effective Thursday, Feb. 27, with Two and a Half Men moving to 9:00 PM and The Crazy Ones shifting to 9:30 PM. Then Bad Teacher, a single-camera comedy based on the hit feature film, premieres Thursday, April 24 at 9:30PM, ET/PT), after The Crazy Ones completes its full 22-episode season order on Thursday, April 17. And Unforgettable returns on Friday, April 4 at 8:00PM ET/PT, following the completion of Undercover Boss' season order. The only series CBS has not scheduled yet is new drama Reckless, which will likely premiere in summer. Also previously announced for CBS this mid-season were return dates for Survivor and The Amazing Race, and also new comedy Friends with Better Lives which premieres after the How I Met Your Mother series finale on Monday, March 31.

The CW Network has ordered early pickups for the 2014-15 season for its hit series Arrow, Reign, The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural, which will be returning for its tenth season next fall. All of these series have done well in the Nielsen ratings for The CW in their timeslots. The CW has not yet made decisions on its dramas: Beauty & the Beast, The Tomorrow People, Hart of Dixie or The Carrie Diaries. Stay tuned for any updates on these come May during upfront season. One show of course that will not be returning next season is the drama Nikita, as that series has been canceled. Stay with us for continued updates.