SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Once again, it has been a pretty busy week with news of pilots everywhere (we barely even scratch the surface here), including one pilot for CBS that includes the cast member of a sitcom that is still (seemingly) going strong on ABC. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• If you've been missing out on the full series or full season sets of Mama's Family, StarVista has another "best of" release coming on April 12 with Mama's Family - Mama's Favorites, Season 5.
• Parks and Recreation ends on NBC Tuesday with a special one-hour finale, and fans will also be able to own that on DVD soon as Universal releases Parks and Recreation - Season Seven and Parks and Recreation - The Complete Series on June 2.

Who to Follow: Jon Cryer (Twitter), "Author(?!) of So That Happened available April 7th Penguin/Random House. That guy who played Duckie in Pretty in Pink and Alan in Two and a Half Men"

Claim to Fame: Two and a Half Men has finally ended after twelve seasons (who knew it would last that long?), and in all of that time, we have failed to feature the only person to star (although Charlie Sheen considers him nothing more than a supporting actor) on the series for twelve seasons Jon Cryer here. Of course, even though he is best known for that role on Two and a Half Men, his first sitcom actually came in 1989 in the starring role on the CBS sitcom The Famous Teddy Z. Nobody remembers the series all that well since it didn't last an entire season, but it actually received two Emmy nominations. In 1995, he went to another sitcom, this time on Fox, with Partners. He has also done many movies since the mid-80s (most notably Pretty in Pink), and many would be surprised to know that he played the voice of Kevin Swanson in his first appearance on Family Guy (that role is now played by Seth MacFarlane).
Pick of the Tweets: "I'm filled with gratitude for every day you let me have this job. It's been an honor to embarrass myself." (February 19, 2015)

truTV has ordered a pilot for Adam Ruins Everything (working title), a half-hour investigative comedy starring comedian Adam Conover, from Los Angeles-based production company Big Breakfast. In Adam Ruins Everything, Conover explores topics and ideas many people take for granted and dispels widespread misconceptions through a combination of comedy, history, and science. A perfect blend of comedy and enlightenment, Adam Ruins Everything is inviting, fast-paced and, above all, smart. Adam is like that friend who knows a little bit too much about everything and is going to tell you about it whether you like it or not. By employing sharp humor, mock experiments and on-the-spot comedy reporting, Adam Ruins Everything isn't just fun to watch, but addictively informative - it's everything you didn't want to need to know.

The show was born out of a popular CollegeHumor Original series which has generated more than 20 million views since premiering online with the sketch "Why Engagement Rings Are a Scam," in February of 2014. Adam Ruins Everything is produced by Big Breakfast, which is led by Sam Reich. Stay with us if and when this pilot is ordered to series!


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 Feb. 23-27, 2015, 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!


Sunday, February 22, 2015

John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter) - Watch John on the Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars special on ABC following your local news. Special appearances include Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Aniston John Krasinski and Mila Kunis.

Monday, February 23, 2015

• Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly) - Billy guest co-hosts The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• Steve Byrne (Sullivan & Son) - Steve appears on The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• The Cast of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Danny Devito, Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and Kaitlin Olson are guests on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Tim Daly (Wings) - Tim visits The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Stark Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Ed O'Neill (Modern Family/Married with Children) - Ed stops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda chats about the latest headlines and opens up about her decision to come out on The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• David Walton (About a Boy/Bent/Perfect Couples) - David is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
• Kevin Nealon (Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Kevin will be on The Better Show, so check your local listings.
• Jason Hervey (The Wonder Years) - Jason discusses creating and producing the new docu-series Outlaw Country, which premieres Feb. 24 on WGN America, on HuffPost Live at 1:35pm. He will also be on Fox & Friends on Fox News Channel at 8:45am, Taking Stock with Pimm on Bloomberg, andArise TV on their website at 3pm.
• Arturo Castro (Broad City) - Arturo talks about his role in the hit comedy series Broad City and shares what's ahead for the current season on HuffPost Live at 4:00pm.
• Sheryl Lee Ralph (Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl discusses Oscar moments in the Plugged-In panel on Access Hollywood Live, so check your loca listings.
• The Cast of Life Goes On - Patti LuPone, Chris Burke and Kellie Martin reunite on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Henry Winkler (Happy Days/Out of Practice/Arrested Development) - Henry discusses the latest addition to his children's book series Here's Hank on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

• Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Office) - Catch Ellie on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth/30 Rock) - Will is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Bella Thorne (Shake It Up) - Bella appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly) - Billy guest co-hosts The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• Yvette Nicole Brown (The Odd Couple/Community) - Yvette visits The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS. She will also be on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• The Cast of Parks and Recreation - Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Jim O'Heir, Retta and executive producer Michael Schur are guests on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. Read our blog story.
• Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) and Lindsay Sloane (The Odd Couple/The Stones/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) - Thomas and Lindsay are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Victoria Justice (Victorious/Zoey 101) - Victoria stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Martin Short (Mulaney/The Martin Short Show) - Martin visits LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Will drops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Tony Danza (Who's the Boss?/Taxi) - Tony appears on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• David Duchovny (Californication) - David dishes on his family and addresses rumors of an X-Files reunion on The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Mark Duplass (Togetherness/The Mindy Project/The League) - Mark chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Kate Walsh (Bad Judge/The Drew Carey Show) - Kate chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She will also be on People Now and New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Donald Glover (Community) - Donald talks about The Lazarus Project and Community on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Tiffani talks about the Cooking Channel's Dinner at Tiffani's on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Kevin Nealon (Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Kevin discusses the epic 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Retta (Parks and Recreation) - Retta is a guest on People Now.
• Jason Hervey (The Wonder Years) - Jason talks about WGN America's Outlaw Country on Big Morning Buzz Live on VH1 at 9am and on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 8:15am.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

• Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Watch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andrew appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal guest co-hosts The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob visits The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) - Sarah stops by The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• Michael Ian Black (Ed) - Michael is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) - Kumail appears on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Clark Duke (Hearts Afire/The Office) - Clark is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) - Melissa visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Wendi McClendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement/Reno 911!) - Wendi chats on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Julie Bowen (Modern Family) - Julie drops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Martin Lawrence (Partners/Martin) - Martin is a guest on The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom and Tom Brokaw will be on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Debra Messing (Will & Grace) - Debra talks about The Mysteries of Laura on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Jason Ritter (The Class) - Jason talks about his film Wild Canaries on NBC's Today in the 10am hour and on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Ashley Argota (True Jackson, VP/Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures) - Ashley stops by Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Mae Whitman (Arrested Development) and Robbie Amell (1600 Penn/True Jackson, VP/Life with Derek) - Mae and Robbie talk about their film The Duff on People Now.
• Jim O'Heir (Parks and Recreation) - Jim discusses the series finale of Parks and Recreation on HuffPost Live at 1:00pm.
• Sean Giambrone, Troy Gentile and Hayley Orrantia - The Goldbergs' children are guests on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Kate Walsh (Bad Judge/The Drew Carey Show) - Kate will be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 8:15am.
• Anne Heche (Save Me/The Michael J. Fox Show) - Anne is a guest on NewsNation on MSNBC at 11am.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

• J.B. Smoove (The Millers/'Til Death/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Catch J.B. on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal guest co-hosts The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show/Newhart/Bob) - Bob appears on The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth/30 Rock) - Will drops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Office) - Ellie visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley/The Goodwin Games/Carpoolers) - T.J. is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kate Micucci (The Big Bang Theory/Raising Hope/'Til Death) - Kate is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - Melissa appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Mark Duplass (Togetherness/The Mindy Project/The League) - Mark stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) - Jack visits Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Jeff is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Téa Leoni (The Naked Truth/Flying Blind) - Téa will be on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am.
• Teri Polo (I'm with Her/Man Up!) - Teri chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Robbie Amell (1600 Penn/True Jackson, VP/Life with Derek) - Robbie discusses The Flash on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Amanda Peet (Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda will be on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Debi Mazar (Younger/Entourage) - Debi is tentatively scheduled to appear on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.

Friday, February 27, 2015

• Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer (Broad City) - Watch Abbi and Ilana on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) - Catch Simon on The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• Owen Benjamin (Sullivan & Son) - Owen appears on The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal guest co-hosts The Late Late Show at 12:37am on CBS.
• Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Kathy is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Jason Biggs (Mad Love/Drexell's Class) - Jason visits LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Lana Parilla (Spin City) - Lana chats on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Anne Heche (Save Me/The Michael J. Fox Show) - Anne and the cast of USA Network's Dig give a sneak peak and share secrets from the highly anticipated new murder mystery mini-series on The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Natalie Desselle-Reid (Eve/For Your Love/Built to Last) - Natalie guest co-hosts ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Ming-Na Wen (The Single Guy) - Ming-Na Wen will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. She chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Tiffani talks about getting ready for baby #2 to join her family and cooks on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings. She also talks about the Cooking Channel's Dinner at Tiffani's on Big Morning Buzz Live on VH1 at 9am.
• Felicity Huffman (Sports Night) - Felicty is a guest on Tavis Smiley on PBS, so check your local listings.
• Kevin Nealon (Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Kevin appears on Larry King Now at 2/5pm PT/ET on Ora.tv and Hulu.
• Luis Guzman (How to Make It in America/Luis) - Luis is a guest on People Now.

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 Friday feature! We do listen!

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da! On Monday, February 23, 2015, Hallmark Channel's daytime series Home & Family hosts a special Life Goes On reunion with Chris Burke (Corky Thacher), Patti LuPone (Libby Thacher) and Kellie Martin (Becca Thacher). The iconic drama series ran on ABC from 1989 to 1993 and featured the Thacher family and their son Corky who has Down Syndrome. This special cast reunion continues Home & Family recent run of reunion episodes paying tribute to some of TV's greatest series including Dynasty, Knots Landing, The Love Boat and of course Happy Days. And Home & Family airs each weekday on Hallmark Channel at 10 am ET/PT. One other tidbit from this airing, filling in for vacationing Cristina Ferrare will be Brooke Burns (GSN's The Chase). The reunion will tape on Friday, February 20 at the Universal lot in Burbank.

TV stars are coming to TV One in an anthology series. Robin Givens, Columbus Short and Lynn Whitfield headline TV One's next installment of its horror anthology, Fear Files (formerly Fright Night Files) with three new terrifying tales of love, revenge and murder on Friday, March 13 at 8PM/ET. The new trilogy picks up where the first airing left off by revisiting "For The Love of Lockwood" with its sequel "For The Love Of Lockwood Too," and introducing two new stories, "Mama's Boy" and "Fire." Shot on location in Atlanta, Fear Files represents the second project executive produced by Radio One Founder and Chairperson, Cathy Hughes and Executive Vice President of Special Projects, Susan Banks. The duo once again joined forces with award-winning writer, director and producer Russ Parr of Up To Parr Productions. Fear Files' stellar ensemble includes: Robin Givens (Head of the Class), Columbus Short (Scandal), Nadine Ellis (Let's Stay Together), Eva Marcille (The Young and The Restless), Lynn Whitfield (How to Get Away with Murder), Clifton Powell (Ray), Sean Blakemore (General Hospital), Erica Hubbard (Let's Stay Together), Mel Jackson (Soul Food) and Mishon Ratliff (Lincoln Heights). Full descriptions on all 3 follows:

For The Love of Lockwood Too
Lockwood Masters (Sean Blakemore) is back and has another victim in his sights, the beautiful Bianca Wayne (Nadine Ellis). After a love potion overdose from Madam Mabry (Lynn Whitfield), Lockwood cannot help but devour the women he falls in love with. When Lockwood's first wife and victim Marla Peters (Eva Marcille) makes a ghostly appearance, Lockwood is trapped between delusions and reality. Meanwhile, Bianca is battling her heart’s desire to fall for this charming man and, much like Marla, she too questions how far she’d go for the love of Lockwood.

Mama's Boy
Elaine Channing (Robin Givens) is a loving mother with a terrifying secret. All of the men she becomes involved with are met with a tragic end. Desperately, she fears her son is murdering her lovers. In a bizarre twist, Elaine must decide how far she will go to protect her son.

Fire
When City Councilman Harvey Jordan (Columbus Short) unveils a plan to build a football stadium in a low income neighborhood, friction erupts within the community. After a lethal fire removes the last resident blocking his project, many begin to question if this death was in fact an accident, or has the Councilman’s ambition led to murder. The truth begins to haunt him as a determined reporter, Kelisia Waters (Erica Hubbard) will stop at nothing to get answers she desires.

The Odd Couple - Thursdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres on Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 8:30PM ET/PT

by Skees

Way back in 1970, television viewers were asked this famous question: "Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?" That question was asked, of course, on the famous Tony Randall and Jack Klugman sitcom, The Odd Couple. The series was based upon the Neil Simon play (and movie) of the same name. The series was never exactly a major hit, but it was successful enough to last for five seasons and became one of the most memorable classic TV series from that era in later years. Now, 45 years later, two new divorced men... but with the same names, Felix Unger and Oscar Madison... are sharing an apartment and seeing if they'll be driving each other crazy.

Cast Details:

Matthew Perry as Oscar Madison
Thomas Lennon as Felix Unger
Lindsay Sloane as Emily
Wendell Pierce as Teddy
Yvette Nicole Brown as Dani

Matthew Perry (Oscar Madison) got his start in sitcoms in the 1990s including Sydney and Home Free, both of which were flops, but then came the one big one in 1994: Friends, where he played the role of Chandler Bing. In more recent years, he has starred in series including Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Mr. Sunshine, and Go On.

Thomas Lennon (Felix Unger) is an actor, comedian, and screenwriter (among other things) who made his first appearance on MTV's The State, but is probably best known for his role on the series Reno 911! As a writer, he has been part of many feature films such as Taxi and Night at the Museum, among others. Most recently, he had a recurring role on NBC's Sean Saves the World.

Lindsay Slonae (Emily) got her start by playing the recurring role of Alice Pedermeir on The Wonder Years, but is probably better known for playing the role of Valerie in the first three seasons of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. She later had starring roles in short-lived series such as Grosse Pointe and The Stones, along with guest appearances in several series such as Greg the Bunny, How I Met Your Mother, and Weeds.

Wendell Pierce (Teddy) is best known for his role of Bunk Moreland on The Wire as well as his role on Treme, but he was also a regular on The Gregory Hines Show and just last season on NBC's The Michael J. Fox Show. He has had guest appearances on sitcoms such as Girlfriends and My Wife and Kids.

Yvette Nicole Brown (Dani) is probably best known for her role of Shirley on the NBC (and soon to be Yahoo! Screen, although it will be without her) series Community. She previously starred in the short-lived ABC comedy The Big House and has made numerous guest appearances on series including Malcolm in the Middle, The Office, Family Guy, That '70s Show, and Two and a Half Men, among many others.

Pilot Plot:

Oscar Madison is the happily divorced host of a sports radio show (which he does in his underwear from his own apartment, by the way) and getting along just fine in life... until unexpectedly, his old friend Felix Unger comes knocking at the door. As it turns out, Felix's wife just threw him out of his home and he needs somewhere to stay. Initially, it seems like an idea that would work temporarily, until he realizes how much different Felix's lifestyle is. It seems that the arrangement isn't going to work out, but a little outside intervention from a female neighbor could make things work out for Felix and Oscar after all.

Analysis:

This show quite literally takes the same characters of Oscar and Felix that we knew from 1970 and updates them for 2015... particularly when it comes to the character of Felix. Thomas Lennon has taken the character that Tony Randall played and recreated it almost perfectly for this series. Matthew Perry is a little less convincing as Oscar, as Jack Klugman's Oscar was more of just a slob and Matthew Perry's character seems to be more sex-obsessed, but he's still a slob and believable as Oscar. And I would even go so far as to say that the casting for this series was done pretty well. But the big question remains: will this even work?

This is certainly not the first time that a remake has been made of The Odd Couple. In fact, it is the second... third if you count the animated Oddball Couple. That isn't to mention that the series was a remake of a movie that was the remake of a play. It is understandable why they keep returning to this series (and even series that essentially were The Odd Couple but with different characters, like the 80s series Perfect Strangers), since mismatched roommates is one of the most quintessential themes when it comes to sitcoms.

Part of the problem here is that it is hard to tell who the audience is supposed to be. If it is fans of the original series when that originally aired, then there is the slight issue of those viewers being very old... in fact, a 25 year old (perhaps a younger demographic than that series even attracted) in 1970 would be 70 years old in 2015. I'm sure that isn't the audience that they're going for, which leaves younger audiences of today. But as I watched the pilot, the only way that I was able to relate to the characters was through what I knew about them in the original series. I feel that if a viewer didn't know the original series... and granted, there are some younger fans who have watched the original series... then it would be hard for them to relate to this series.

Even though I sort of did enjoy watching the pilot, one thing that was definitely lacking was the laughs. There wasn't a whole lot to laugh at in the pilot, but that isn't a total disaster as it is hard to pack in the laughs on a pilot. After all, a lot of the energy in a pilot is dedicated to just getting viewers introduced to the characters (even though fans of the original series have already had that introduction). It is hard to really judge how funny a show actually is from the pilot alone, but considering that there was nothing major to laugh at in here, I'm hopeful that future episodes will have more to laugh at.

Conclusion:

I'm not completely sure what to think of this series. I did enjoy the pilot (although it did drag on a bit, but it seems most pilots do anyway), and I think that the series has plenty of potential, with a lot of potential story ideas... and even if they run out, they can even recycle the old episodes from the original series (hopefully most viewers would be too young to notice). But that is also where the problem comes in. This series is a remake of an older series, and truth be told, there have been few (if any) successful remakes of sitcoms with a new cast.

The original series was never really a hit in the ratings, but did manage to coast along for five seasons. It is a lot harder for a series to be marginally successful on broadcast television in the current era, particularly on a network like CBS, and because of that, I can't say that I see this lasting too long. It will get a lot of initial attention since CBS seems to be heavily promoting this, and it also doesn't hurt that it is receiving the most coveted comedy time slot on the CBS lineup. But I think it will be an uphill battle to sustain the audience of The Big Bang Theory and actually bring in new viewers.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 3.5/5
Funniness: 2/5
Overall: 3/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

CBS.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

The Odd Couple Photo Gallery

Preview:

HBO has renewed Last Week Tonight with John Oliver for its third and fourth seasons. Consisting of 35 shows apiece, season three will run on HBO in 2016, to be followed by season four in 2017. Presenting a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events, as well as addressing broader issues, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver returned for its 35-episode second season Feb. 8, debuting new shows Sunday night (11:00-11:30pm ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. The show is the only weekly news-oriented comedy series to be presented on Sunday night. Taped in New York a few hours before it debuts on HBO, the show features a mix of Oliver's topical commentary on the previous week's events, pre-taped pieces and occasional guests.

In the first season, which concluded last November, Oliver covered a wide range of topics, from net neutrality and Uganda's anti-LGBT laws, to Miss America, climate change and civil forfeiture abuse by the police.

Logo will start airing two more sitcoms beginning in early March. They have acquired the rights to Just Shoot Me! and Samantha Who? The sitcoms will air in block programing, with no set times, as per their other sitcoms. Just Shoot Me! launches on Wednesday, March 4 at 3pm with a block of episodes through 6pm. The sitcom will air primarily air on some nights in late nights. In this series, after opinionated news journalist Maya Gallo (Laura San Giacomo) is fired from her job, she has no other choice but to work for her father's (George Segal) fashion magazine, Blush. As for Samantha Who?, the single-camera comedy will launch on Friday, March 6 at 11:59pm with a block airing through 3am. Christina Applegate stars as Samantha Newly, an unlikeable real estate firm VP who develops amnesia after an accident. When the "new Sam" finally sees the errors of her past ways, Samantha must make amends with her loved ones. These comedies join the other Logo sitcoms such as The Golden Girls, Who's the Boss?, Living Single, Roseanne, Will & Grace and Happy Endings.

But wait there's more! Bewitched is coming back to Logo starting...today! It will air with a block of episodes from 10am-2pm and will air at various times per week in block format. Keep it right here for continued updates on Logo. Maybe Maude and Soap will return next for them? We shall see...




We didn't mention this network back when it soft launched in late September, but now more affiliates are signing on for Heroes and Icons. The digital subchannel is owned and operated by Weigel Broadcasting, and launched on September 29, 2014. The same company owns MeTV. KTTC-TV in Rochester, MN is ready to launch this network on March 1. H&I will be aired free on digital sub-channel 10.3. The syndicated shows offered by H&I "draw from both classic and more contemporary programming." That means it will air shows, including Hunter, Wild Wild West, Pretender, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Batman, The Commish, Rawhide, NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues, MacGyver, and more. As of now, only about a dozen stations carry this network. There is no word yet when the actual launch will be since this is still considered a "soft launch."

LAFF, the country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to comedy around-the-clock set to launch on April 15, 2015, made the first in what-will-be a series of programming acquisition announcements, landing the broadcast television rights to more than 800 episodes of some of the most popular sitcoms in contemporary television. In the three individual, multi-year licensing agreements, LAFF licenses: all nine seasons of both The Drew Carey Show (233 episodes) and Night Court (193 episodes) from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. Two series from The Disney/ABC Television Group: Ellen DeGeneres' first sitcom Ellen (109 episodes) and all seven seasons of Empty Nest (170 episodes). And finally, Grace Under Fire (112 episodes) starring Brett Butler from Carsey-Werner Productions. LAFF will feature a mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular theatrical motion pictures, with a target audience of adults 18-49. The LAFF brand will cross multiple platforms, with the linear network carried on the signals of local broadcast television stations and corresponding cable carriage while a selection of companion digital content will be available at LAFF.com and via the LAFF app.

The newly-announced LAFF already has two major distribution agreements in place. The ABC Owned Television Stations will carry LAFF in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh and Fresno. The E.W. Scripps Company will also launch LAFF on its stations in Detroit, Phoenix, Tampa, Denver, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Baltimore, San Diego, Kansas City, Cincinnati, West Palm Beach, Buffalo and Tulsa. These initial agreements will make LAFF available to more than 35% of the country, with more distribution additions expected to be announced shortly. Stay with us for continued updates, along with a launch schedule!

Moving on to some network news. The third season of fan favorite drama Beauty and the Beast will begin its 13-episode run on Thursday, May 21 at 8:00pm ET on The CW Network, following the conclusion of The Vampire Diaries season. In addition, The CW announced that Beauty and the Beast has also been renewed a fourth season, which will air later the 2015-2016 season. As season three begins, Cat (Kristin Kreuk) and Vincent (Jay Ryan) are able to focus on their love, finally free from Muirfield, manhunts and beasts.

2014-15 Week 21 TV Ratings (first four nights Mon-Thu):